


And Then Some

by happylikeafool



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Post 3x16, brief appearances by Forest Boy and that other dude, but then they go off to build a boat together (or something) never to be heard from again, some descriptions of past child abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-13
Updated: 2017-09-13
Packaged: 2018-12-20 05:29:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 51,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11914197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/happylikeafool/pseuds/happylikeafool
Summary: Canon divergence post 3x16.Zelena devises a plan to deal with her Saviour problem that doesn't involve cursing anyone's lips. It's a plan that goes horribly wrong when Regina gets in the way - leaving Regina trapped in Emma’s worst nightmare and Emma struggling to sort out how to wake her. But waking Regina proves to be the easy part in comparison to what follows: a guilty Regina, a vulnerable Emma, and the truth of just how exactly the nightmare curse was broken hanging between them.





	1. Part I: When I'm gone, do you think about me?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lesbrarian](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lesbrarian/gifts).
  * Inspired by [and then some [art]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11938116) by [lesbrarian](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lesbrarian/pseuds/lesbrarian). 



> I don't think I can say thank you enough to my Beta, Wren, who is responsible for making this whole thing immeasurably better than it started out.
> 
> Thanks also to my cheerleader, Monica, who helped me work through the plot when it was in its infancy and gets full credit for air freshener and fungus dialogue lines :P
> 
> Thanks, of course, are also due to the amazing SQSN team.
> 
> And, last, but most definitely in no way least, thanks to Maddi, who made the art to go with this fic and who is crazy crazy talented. Seriously, the cover is amazing - better than anything I could have ever even imagined!
> 
>  **TW:** as mentioned in the tags, this fic does make some references to past child abuse throughout. There are also a couple of non-graphic descriptions of that past child abuse in Part I.

_When I’m gone, do you think about me?  
__When you dream, do I make the screen?  
__We were talking in the dark_  

 _I adore you cause you don’t care where I came from  
__Just kiss me in the dark while my lips are numb  
__And I’ll love every inch of you and then some  
__And then some and then some_  

_\- And Then Some, Arkells_

* * *

Watching Emma descend from the floating platform she'd made from the mangled remains of the suspension bridge, Regina’s heart hammered uncomfortably hard in her chest. Well, not her heart exactly, because her heart was currently hidden away, protected by Robin Hood - but whatever was magically pumping blood through her system in its absence was doing so at an almost painfully fast rate.

 

Regina covered her reaction with pursed lips and annoyance at Emma's unrealized potential, as if she hadn't been absolutely terrified just moments ago. Regardless if even a few years ago when she’d hated Emma and everything she represented, she'd never really wanted Emma dead - gone, yes, dead, no. And it followed naturally that now that she tolerated Emma, or maybe even liked her, or maybe something more than just liked - something more she refused to think too long or too hard about - the thought of Emma injured or worse was upsetting.

 

Emma _wasn't_ either of those things though. In fact, she stood cockily in front of Regina, rolling her eyes at Regina’s chastisement. It was a familiar rhythm for them and it made the uncomfortable feeling in Regina’s chest begin to ease.

 

She waved her hand to repair the damaged bridge and was about to suggest they try something else when Zelena appeared in a puff of green smoke.

 

“Brava,” Zelena clapped her hands together and cackled maniacally. “For a second there I thought you were going to take care of my Saviour problem for me.”

 

Out of the corner of her eye, Regina saw Emma stiffen, her hands curling into fists, her teeth gritting together. Emma was defensive and ready to attack all at once, and, despite today’s magic lesson, which must surely still be fresh in her mind, she looked more prepared to throw a punch than anything. “What do you want today, Zelena?” Regina sighed, as if she was merely exasperated with Zelena and not alarmed by her sudden appearance.

 

Zelena grinned. “Don't you listen? Keep up. I already said why I'm here. I've got a Saviour problem that I need to take care of. Can't let her get in the way of my plans. Not when she now fancies herself a magic student.” She pulled something out of her pocket, a vial, filled with an odd swirling gas, which she twirled between her fingers. “You should have stayed in New York dear.” The left side of her face tugged upwards, creating a menacing smirk as she turned her gaze towards Emma.

 

Emma ignored Zelena’s New York comment, biting out instead, “What's that?” Though she took a few steps back, her stance was undeniably still aggressive and on alert to attack.

 

Zelena grinned again, slowly, like she was delighted by the question and could not wait to give an answer. She practically bounced in place. “This is a curse far better than that silly sleeping curse my dear sister here favours.”

 

Regina’s lips pursed, she could feel her blood practically boiling under her skin. Everything about Zelena grated on her nerves and today's display was no exception. Under that anger and irritation there was something else though, a flicker of fear that she couldn’t suppress no matter how hard she tried. Her stomach twisted uncomfortably. What exactly was her sister up to? Why was she here right now?

 

Zelena was still talking, still grinning that same horrible grin, her eyes focused on Regina. “This right here will send our dear Saviour straight into her worst nightmare. That's better than a curse that does nothing but makes a person take what amounts to a long nap, don't you think?” She directed that last question at Emma.

 

Regina tensed, a new wave of fear making her non-heart beat faster. She looked over at Emma but Emma’s focus was completely on Zelena, her eyes narrowed as she glowered.

 

“Where or where do you think this will take you _Em-ma_ ?” Zelena taunted, twirling the vial between her fingers. “What kind of _awful_ nightmares does the Saviour have? Hmm? Care to guess?”

 

Regina watched as Emma, who was not afraid to fight a dragon armed only with a sword, who was usually much too reckless to be anything but fearless, was oddly stricken by Zelena’s words, a flicker of panic, something very close to terror, crossing her face. It remained for only a moment before it was wiped away, replaced by angry eyes, by teeth gritting tighter together, by shoulders so tense that they were nearly touching her ears, and by fists now clenched so tightly that her knuckles were white. But it was there long enough for Regina to see it. Long enough for Regina to wonder what about this threat had Emma afraid - the same Emma who flung herself from boats without so much as a second thought in an attempt to save them all, who had never once before shown fear for her own safety.

 

If Regina were to justify her next action (and she did, later, to herself), there would be a long list to explain _why_.

 

_Their son could not be without the only mother he currently remembered;_

 

_The town needed Emma, their Saviour, to break the curse;_

 

_If Zelena was trying to curse Emma it must mean that she was important for Zelena’s defeat and, therefore, had to be protected; and_

 

_Emma had protected Regina more than once, so it was only fair that Regina return the favour._

 

And those were all good reasons. But those so-called reasons weren’t really the truth.

 

The truth was that there was no time for logic when Zelena uncapped the vial and tossed its contents in Emma’s direction. There was no time for anything but a reaction and, with Emma’s panicked green eyes fresh in her mind, Regina did not hesitate. She placed herself between Emma and Zelena and the strange mist from the vial was suddenly swirling around her, expanding and descending like fog, enveloping her.

 

Regina had just long enough to wonder what her worst nightmare would entail. To wonder if this curse would take her back to the age of 5, with mother’s magic wrapping around her, holding her captive as she struggled futilely, to stop her from doing something as unladylike as playing in the mud - the moment she’d first realized what her mother was truly capable of. Or maybe to the moment where she’d stood and watched mother crush Daniel’s heart. Or maybe, perhaps more likely, to that moment in the Storybrooke General Hospital, that second before Emma had kissed Henry and saved him when they’d thought they were too late and Regina’s entire world had felt like it was collapsing in on itself. Or perhaps equally likely to the town line where she'd had to say goodbye to Henry and Emma for what she'd thought would be forever.

 

But when the Storybrooke forest disappeared from around her, and she blinked her eyes slowly to adjust to her new surroundings, she was surprised to find that she wasn't in any of the places she'd considered. In actuality, she was somewhere she didn't recognize at all.

 

She was standing in a living room. The walls were paneled wood. The floor under her feet was green shag carpet. The furniture - a couch and an over-sized armchair - was plaid. The TV was one of those large old ones, surrounded by wood, with round knobs to turn it on and change the channel, and an antenna on top. The air smelled vaguely of stale cigarettes. A calendar on the wall suggested it was May 1990, although Regina had no way of knowing whether or not that was accurate.

 

This decor was definitely a nightmare, Regina thought, but one thing was certain - this was not _her_ worst nightmare.

 

xxxxxx

 

Emma didn't really understand what had happened.

 

One second she was flinching, mentally preparing herself for the place she was pretty sure the curse was going to take her, and the next Regina was in front of her, surrounded by swirling mist, and then crumpling to the forest floor.

 

Zelena seemed just as baffled as Emma, and for a moment, they just stared at each, Regina’s body motionless between them. And then Emma's hands were shaking, magic pouring out of her and towards Zelena, fueled as if it had a mind of its own by the ball of emotions currently twisting knots in her gut - anger and confusion and worry and gratitude and panic and more anger.

 

Mostly anger.

 

Zelena was gone in a puff of green smoke before Emma's white magic could touch her and, as if it knew that the threat was gone, the magic radiating from Emma's hands immediately simpered out.

 

With Zelena gone, Emma dropped to the ground beside Regina’s prone form, shaking her, as if that might wake her up. But this was a curse. Of course a shoulder shake wasn't going to cut it. It was an idiotic move - Regina would have said as much if she were awake.

 

Emma swallowed hard, the gulp audible in the suddenly much too quiet forest. Fumbling for Regina’s wrist, she felt for a pulse, the sound of her own heart beating uncomfortably loud in her ears as she held her breath, exhaling only when she was certain she could feel steady pulsing under her fingertips, could see the rise and fall of Regina’s chest.

 

“Okay, okay, okay,” she mumbled to herself. Regina was alive. This was good. Well, not _good_ , but so much better than the alternative.

 

What was she supposed to do now? Try and carry Regina out of the forest? No. That was probably a bad idea. She could try and poof them? Not that she'd ever poofed anywhere before. She probably didn't want _this_ to be her first try. What if she somehow only transported, like, half of them? Was that possible? That would be bad. Very, very _bad_.

 

She shook her head, trying to shake away her racing thoughts and calm her mind. She sighed, her eyes settling on Regina’s face. Regina looked oddly peaceful. She couldn't help but reach forward and brush at dark hair gently with the tips of her fingers. “Why’d you do it?” she asked quietly. She couldn't understand what had possessed Regina to step in front of her; couldn’t understand why Regina would accept a curse meant for her. It made absolutely no sense.

 

Emma shook her head, sighing again as she pulled her phone out of her pocket and called for help.

 

xxxxxx

 

Regina stood uncertainly in the middle of a living room plucked out of a nightmare that didn't belong to her and tried to sort out what exactly this nightmare _was_.

 

She knew that it was a safe assumption that this nightmare belonged to Emma. A quick mental calculation told Regina that, if it was indeed May 1990, that that would make Emma six and a half years old. That knowledge made Regina’s insides twist uncomfortably, dread settling like a stone in the pit of her stomach. What had happened in this oddly silent house? What made _this_ Emma’s worst nightmare and not Neal’s betrayal, or giving Henry up, or that moment in the hospital when they'd thought Henry was dead?

 

A phone rang, loud and shrill from an end table in the living room, startling Regina.

 

The phone rang once, twice, and a woman was rushing into the living room from somewhere down a long hall. She had the most unnaturally coloured red hair that Regina had ever seen: it was poofed up on top of her head, excessively so, even by early nineties standards. And, alright, maybe Regina shouldn't judge other people's hairstyles, not considering some of the ‘do’s she’d sported in the Enchanted Forest.

 

Regina expected the woman to spot her and be alarmed - a stranger in her living room would certainly be cause for concern - but the woman didn't even spare her a second glance, just picked up the phone and settled herself on the couch to speak with whomever was on the other end.

 

She must be invisible, Regina decided. A spectator, not an active participant.

 

“Hi Nancy,” the redhead said into the phone, twirling the phone cord between her fingers, bobbing her head and, “Mm’hm-ing,” as she listened to whatever the speaker, Nancy presumably, was saying. When she finally seemed to find a break in the conversation she spoke, leaning forward on the couch, “I’ve got better gossip. You're not going to believe who Sharon got caught in bed with…” she paused, waiting a beat before finishing with a slightly conniving grin, “Maureen’s husband.” She laughed at something that was said on the other end and added, “What a floozy.”

 

Regina rolled her eyes at the woman on the couch. _This_ was Emma's worst nightmare? Bad early nineties housewife gossip? Regina didn't understand at all. Maybe Zelena had been bluffing about this curse sending Emma to her worst nightmare. Perhaps she'd actually meant that it would send Emma to her most boring memory. Although, if this was a memory, that begged the question of where exactly Emma was.

 

Regina didn't have long to contemplate it though because the front door opened and a man in a police uniform walked into the house. He had a thick mustache and dark hair and he was tall, over six feet, with wide shoulders.

 

“I've got to go, Nancy, Jerry just got home,” the redhead on the couch said, hanging up the phone.

 

Jerry, apparently, clomped his way into the living room. Regina noted that the name stitched on the pocket of his police shirt said Henderson.

 

“Hi hun,” the redhead greeted, pushing herself up and off the couch and moving over to kiss the man. “How was your day?”

 

“Long,” Jerry answered, squeezing the redhead’s ass. “Get me a beer would you, Lorraine? I'm going to change.”

 

The redhead, _Lorraine_ , nodded, and the pair parted ways, leaving Regina alone in the living room. Before Regina could decide what to do, Lorraine was back, cold beer in one hand.

 

It didn't take long for Jerry to return either, now dressed in blue jeans and a white t-shirt. He took the beer from Lorraine and plopped himself down on the couch, taking a long swallow from the bottle.

 

Lorraine settled herself down beside him, pulling open a drawer on the end table and removing a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. She lit one of the cigarettes, taking a long drag and puffing a ring of smoke out into the room before she sighed, “Dinner is going to be late. I had to pick the brat up at school. It threw my entire day off.”

 

Jerry stiffened, the hand holding his beer freezing in mid-air as he looked over at Lorraine. “What did she do _now_.”

 

His voice was low and threatening and something about it made Regina shiver.

 

Lorraine seemed unbothered by his tone and she shrugged. “She punched a twelve year old in the face. The principal said the kid tripped a younger boy and Emma didn't like that. I said we’d deal with it.”

 

If Regina wasn't waiting on bated breath for Jerry’s reaction, she might have smiled thinking of Emma standing up to a child twice her age. Child-Emma, it seemed, had adult Emma’s knack for protecting others without much regard for her own safety.

 

Jerry didn’t seem to find this news quite as admirable as Regina did though. Or, at least, that’s what she assumed as Jerry’s teeth gritted together and he set his beer on the coffee table. “Oh I'll deal with it,” he said, sounding even more menacing than before. He pushed himself up off the couch and looked back at his wife. “Where is she?”

 

Lorraine shrugged again. “Her room, I think.”

 

Jerry clomped his way to the hallway and to the first door on the left, just a few feet from the living room, disappearing inside.

 

Regina started to follow but she only made it halfway before he was stomping back out of the room. “She isn't in here!” he shouted, looking angrier than before. “Emma! Get your little ass out here this instant! Or so help me…”

 

Regina stared aghast at the furious man sputtering threats. She could feel anger beginning to bubble hot in her chest and she wasn’t sure how she heard the tiny whimper over the sound of her non-heart thumping loudly in her ears but she did. Her head immediately whipped around to locate the source. The sound seemed to have come from behind the over-sized plaid armchair in the corner of the room. Regina moved closer, peering over the edge. Her non-heart hammered even harder and her breath caught in her throat.

 

Behind the over-sized armchair in the small space between it and the wall created by its corner placement, child-Emma sat with her knees drawn tightly to her chest, her chin resting atop her knees, trembling. Her blonde hair was a mess, as if no one had brushed it in days, and her face was pale, gaunt. The thing that had caught Regina’s breath though were her eyes. Wide and green and nothing at all like the eyes of the adult Emma Regina knew. Adult Emma's eyes were never quite this vulnerable and most certainly never this terrified. The only time Regina had ever seen adult Emma's eyes look even close to this level of terror was that brief moment not all that long ago when Zelena had boasted about her plan.

 

“Emma!” Jerry shouted louder and both Emma and Regina flinched. “If you're not out here by the count of three, you're really going to regret it.”

 

Emma trembled harder, another tiny whimper escaping her lips as Regina just watched the scene unfold with horror.

 

“One,” Jerry started, his voice threatening and low.

 

Lorraine continued to sit unaffected on the couch, puffing on her cigarette.

 

“Two,” Jerry said.

 

Emma gulped and slowly uncurled her arms from her legs.

 

“Th-” Jerry only got half the word out, stopping as Emma crawled out from behind the chair. “Get over here,” he growled but he didn't wait for her to approach, moving over to her and hoisting her from the ground into a standing position by one arm.

 

Emma’s face paled further and she whimpered.

 

“What's this I hear about you hitting another kid?” Jerry said dangerously low, his hand clasped on Emma's shoulder now.

 

Emma's eyes were trained on the ground and she mumbled something unintelligible.

 

Jerry’s hand squeezed Emma's shoulder. “Speak up. And look at me.”

 

Emma looked up from the ground and somehow she looked even more terrified than before, even though Regina hadn't thought that possible. “I'm sorry,” she whispered.

 

“You're _sorry_?” Jerry let out a humourless laugh, scoffing at her, “Oh you're going to be sorry, girl.”

 

Emma trembled, her eyes dropping back to the floor, wincing as Jerry’s fingers squeezed her shoulder once more.

 

“Your room _now,_ ” Jerry practically growled, shoving Emma in the direction of the hallway.

 

Emma stumbled forward, eyes still on the floor as she headed where she was directed.

 

It took a moment before Regina came out of her horrified stupor and started to follow. She was too late. Before she could follow the grown man into Emma's room, Jerry was slamming the door shut.

 

Regina reached for the door handle, trying to turn the knob, but nothing happened. She could feel the cool metal under her fingers but the knob refused to budge no matter how hard she turned her wrist. She slammed her hand against the wooden door with a growl of frustration but, even though the action hurt her palm, it made no sound. It seemed she was actually a ghost here. Except far more useless than a ghost; at least a ghost could pass through walls.

 

She stood with her palm resting against the door a moment, the muffled sounds of whimpered crying, of pleaded apology, of flesh being struck, making her feel physically ill. How long was this going to last?

 

Eventually she withdrew her hand, turning around so that she was standing with her back to the wall, her eyes staring back out into the living room, where Lorraine was still seated on the couch, now flipping through a magazine.

 

Regina’s eyes narrowed, glowering in the direction of the woman who could not see her. Anger pulsed through her veins and she wished desperately that she was not more useless than a ghost, wished desperately that she had her magic here. Because she wanted nothing more than to eviscerate these people - the man who made child-Emma cry behind a closed door and the woman who sat unflinching on a couch, flipping a magazine as if she did not care in the least.

 

xxxxxx

 

With the help of her father and Hook, Emma managed to get Regina out of the forest and into the backseat of the police cruiser David had brought to the edge of the forest.

 

Emma climbed into the backseat, settling Regina’s head into her lap and instructing David to drive to the hospital. She wasn't exactly sure that Regina _needed_ to be at the hospital but it seemed like the best place to take her.

 

At the hospital, Hook jumped out of the passenger seat and pulled the door to the back seat open.

 

“Be careful,” Emma snapped tensely as Hook reached for Regina’s legs a little too haphazardly for her liking.

 

Hook’s eyed widened and then narrowed, looking surprised and displeased at the reprimand.

 

Emma couldn't help but think of Regina, just hours ago, in the vault mocking Hook’s doe eyes. These definitely weren't doe eyes but they annoyed her just the same. As if she wasn’t allowed to be displeased with him. As if she owed him nothing but understanding, and agreement, and kindness. As if she owed him _anything_.

 

She didn’t really understand why Hook had even shown up with David when he was meant to be watching Henry. He’d said he'd left Henry with Snow when Emma had asked but that didn't really appease her. She didn't like that he'd up and left Henry. Her and David would have been perfectly capable of getting Regina out of the forest just the two of them. Hook hadn't been needed.

 

Sensing the tension, David played peacemaker, suggesting to Hook, “Why don't I take her legs? You get the door?”

 

Hook scowled but he moved aside and let David reach into the car to carefully grab Regina’s legs.

 

Emma relaxed, letting David help her get Regina out of the backseat and then helping him carry her into the emergency room, where Hook had alerted Dr. Whale and a gurney was waiting.

 

Emma stood with her back against the wall, biting her lip, as Dr. Whale checked Regina over.

 

Hook started moving towards Emma but David put his hand on Hook’s shoulder, stopping his approach. He said something that Emma didn’t quite catch and Hook nodded once and veered away, going to mope on the other side of the room instead. Emma wondered if maybe she should feel bad about his obvious displeasure but she couldn’t help but feel anything but relieved that she wouldn’t have to talk to him right now. She wished he would get the hint that she wasn't at all interested in him. Tolerating his advances had become increasingly frustrating.

 

David moved to stand beside Emma. “You okay?” he asked carefully.

 

Emma sighed, leaning almost subconsciously towards her father, just enough that their shoulders were touching. “She’s going to be okay, right?”

 

“Of course she is,” David offered with the kind of certainty that Emma wasn't sure she would _ever_ be capable of mustering about anything, let alone this situation they’d found themselves in.

 

xxxxxx

 

“What happened!” Mary Margaret came rushing into Regina’s private hospital room some time later.

 

Emma jumped, her fingers slipping out from where they’d been clasped with Regina’s, her head spinning to look over at her frantic mother, though she couldn’t muster any words in response.

 

Mary Margaret moved over to the foot of the bed, a hand reaching out and settling on a foot covered by a thin hospital blanket, the other hand resting on the swell of her pregnant abdomen. She studied Regina, her eyes turning to watch the steady beeping on the heart monitor they'd hooked up a moment, before she finally looked over at Emma. “David said it was a curse?” It was much more a question than a statement.

 

Emma nodded. “I think so. If we can believe Zelena...which I'm not really sure about.”

 

Mary Margaret’s head tilted as she considered that. “A sleeping curse?”

 

“No,” Emma shook her head. “Something else. Zelena said it would trap someone in their worst nightmare.” She swallowed, still uncomfortable thinking about the possible place the curse would have taken her.

 

Mary Margaret frowned a moment, her gaze drifting back to Regina’s still form. “Do you think Zelena will leave Regina alone now? Was this what she wanted? Regina incapacitated?”

 

“I don't…” Emma hesitated. “I don't think this was about Regina.”

 

Mary Margaret’s eyes were back on Emma then, studying her curiously, as if she might be able to read Emma's mind if she tried hard enough. “Why do you say that?”

 

“Because…” Emma swallowed. “Because the curse was meant for me.”

 

“It was?” There was concern and confusion in equal mixtures showing on Mary Margaret’s face.

 

“Yes.” Emma swallowed again and then continued, quieter, admitting, “Regina sort of just…stepped in front of me.” Emma still couldn’t sort out why Regina had done it and she watched her mother carefully now for her reaction. Maybe her mother, who had known Regina longer than anyone, would understand Regina’s motives.

 

If anything though, Mary Margaret just looked surprised.

 

Emma waited but when a sufficient length of time had passed without Mary Margaret saying anything, she broke the silence herself, stumbling over her words, “So...yeah...I just...I really need to figure out how to get her out of there. I owe her.” Emma wasn't sure why she added the justification. It wasn't as if it mattered that Regina had stepped in front of her - Emma would have been determined to rescue her regardless.

 

“Of course,” Mary Margaret nodded, her expression still showing surprise and something else, something oddly knowing, that Emma couldn't quite comprehend.

 

xxxxxx

 

Leaving her mother with Regina, Emma decided that she needed to talk to the fairies. The fairies wouldn’t generally be high on her list of people to consult regarding magical matters - Blue’s phony smile had always rubbed her the wrong way - but, with Regina under a curse and Gold still being held captive by Zelena, Emma had no other options.

 

She sighed, rocking on the balls of her feet, her hands shoved in her pockets as she finished explaining the situation to the group of fairies clustered around her - all but Tinkerbell dressed in their habits. Emma didn't really understand why they chose to remain nuns now that they remembered that they weren't.

 

Blue eyed her with a look that Emma couldn't help but think was condescending. “I’m afraid we won’t be much help. You already know how curses get broken, Emma.”

 

“True Love’s Kiss,” Emma filled in the answer with a sigh. “Isn't there another way?”

 

“I'm afraid not,” Blue shook her head.

 

Emma sighed again, rubbing the back of her neck with her hand. “Henry could do it, right? True Love’s Kiss Regina?” She perked up. Maybe this wasn’t going to be so difficult after all. She'd go get him right now and bring him to the hospital. She wasn't sure how she'd explain why he needed to kiss the woman he thought was just the mayor but she'd figure something out.

 

Blue shook her head again, “That isn't likely to work.”

 

“Why not?” Emma protested. “Parental true love worked with Henry and I. And Regina’s his mom too. She was his mother  _first._ And they love each other. Why wouldn't it work?”

 

Blue’s lips pursed, her head tilting as she studied Emma seriously.

 

Emma glared, prepared to defend Regina fiercely if Blue even so much as suggested that Regina didn't love Henry.

 

Maybe because of Emma's expression, or maybe for another reason altogether, when Blue spoke all she said was, “Henry doesn't remember Regina. Or believe in magic. I think you’ll find that both are required for True Love’s Kiss to succeed.”

 

Emma sighed. “Well...what are we supposed to do, then?”  

 

“Perhaps it would be prudent to worry more about the curse placed on all of us, rather than this one placed on the Evil Queen,” Blue suggested condescendingly.

 

“Don't call her that,” Emma snapped, her eyes narrowing. “And I’m pretty freaking sure we need Regina to defeat Zelena, so waking her up _is_ worrying about the other curse.”

 

Blue’s lips pursed but she didn’t disagree. Holding her hand up in a sort of insincere apology she finally said, “Then I suppose I must wish you good luck in locating Regina’s True Love.”

 

Emma wanted to snap something angry, wanted to demand that Blue act like she _actually_ cared, wanted to insist that she try harder to be helpful. Didn’t this entire town owe Regina that much after she’d saved their asses? Instead, she just sighed a quick thank you, barely resisting the urge to add _for nothing._

 

Blue nodded and then spun to leave, the other fairies following after her.

 

Emma sighed once more and turned the other way, heading for the door.

 

“Emma, wait!”

 

Emma stopped and turned back around, watching Tinkerbell hurry towards her.

 

“I might know something,” Tinkerbell told Emma once she was stopped in front of her.

 

Emma tilted her head curiously and waited for Tinkerbell to continue.

 

“Regina has a soulmate,” Tinkerbell said.

 

Emma's brow scrunched together. Regina had a soulmate? _Since when?_

 

“He wasn't here before. He came over with the last curse,” Tinkerbell explained. “His name is Robin Hood.”

 

Emma's brow didn't un-crinkle; if anything it furrowed further. “How do you know?”

 

Tinkerbell eyed Emma oddly a moment but the expression was wiped away quickly as she explained, “Back in the Enchanted Forest, when Regina was…” Tinkerbell hesitated. “...still married to the king, I used fairy dust to find Regina’s soulmate. It led us to a tavern and a man with a lion tattoo on his arm. Regina didn't go in back then. But now... now Robin Hood is here in town and he's got the tattoo. It's their second chance.”

 

Emma was still frowning. Her heart sinking at the thought of Regina and Robin Hood being soulmates - a reaction she told herself didn't mean anything. She was just concerned for the mother of her son because this whole thing sounded a little too hokey. “You're basing this on a tattoo? Did you ever even see his face?” she asked incredulously.

 

Tinkerbell shot her the same odd look again. “It's a rather specific tattoo,” she replied defensively.

 

“I'm sure he's not the only dude with a lion tattoo on his arm,” Emma grumbled. “What, am I supposed to line up every guy in town with a lion tattoo and bring them to the hospital to kiss Regina?”

 

Tinkerbell was still eyeing her with the strangest expression, although she seemed almost amused now. “No. Not every guy. But I would suggest bringing Robin Hood. What do you have to lose? Without True Love’s Kiss, Regina will be cursed forever.”

 

Emma sighed. How was she supposed to argue with that?

 

“Fine,” she conceded unhappily.

 

She would go find Forest Boy.

 

xxxxxx

 

After a period of time that might have been minutes but quite easily could have been hours - it certainly felt like the latter - the door to child-Emma's room was wrenched open forcefully.

 

Regina jumped from where she was still leaning against the wall.

 

Jerry stopped, hesitating between the bedroom and the hallway, his hand still on the door knob to the room. “Now you're gonna stay in here and think about what you've done. I don't want to hear another peep from you, do you hear me?”

 

Regina’s teeth gritted tightly together at the menacing tone and she glared daggers as she shuffled past him into the room. The hatred burning in her veins was only mounting every second she spent in this nightmare.

 

She made it by the lumbering man into the bedroom just in time because Jerry punctuated his threat by slamming the bedroom door shut. The echo of the door connecting violently with the door frame was followed by the clicking of a lock into place from the other side, which made Regina feel physically ill.

 

Were they seriously locking Emma in here? What if there was a fire?

 

She swallowed hard, her eyes sweeping the room, appraising drab walls and the utter lack of a single item that might suggest that this was a child’s room other than the twin-sized bed in the corner. It reminded Regina of her own prison cell, more than anything. It was an observation that twisted her stomach in knots. The knots only compounded, twisting so tightly that she thought she might _actually_ be sick, when her gaze settled on the blonde haired child curled up in a ball in the corner of the room opposite the bed.

 

The index finger of Emma’s right hand was resting against her lower lip, pressed firmly against her teeth, the thumb of that same hand curled under her chin. It was what Regina could only assume was something Emma found comforting. Not that it seemed to be helping all that much. The child’s eyes were red, shimmering with tears that spilled over, and over, and over, leaving trails down her cheeks. Emma was crying without making a sound and Regina’s heart broke.

 

Regina didn't know what to do. Mostly because she couldn't _do_ anything. And, so, she stood rigidly, unmoving, and just watched, her eyes never leaving the huddled form in the corner. Playing sentry to the child because it was the only thing she could do here in this place where she was completely useless.

 

She knew that this wasn't real. That this was a nightmare. And maybe it wasn't even a recreation of real events. Maybe this home hadn't existed twenty some odd years ago when Emma was actually six and a half years old. Even though her brain told her that that was just wishful thinking. That this nightmare was too detailed, too specific, to be anything but a recreation of the past.

 

Regardless, as Regina stood guard over the child, she did know one thing - she was glad that she'd stepped in front of Emma. She was glad that Emma did not have to re-live this horror again.

 

xxxxxx

 

Emma kicked at a rock on the ground as she headed towards the Merry Men’s campground. She couldn't believe that Robin Hood was Regina’s soulmate. The whole thing seemed ridiculous. And why hadn't Regina mentioned it to her? Weren't they sort of kind of friends? Or whatever two people were when they shared a son - even if that son only remembered one of them at the moment - and when they regularly performed magic, like moving moons, together.

 

She rounded a corner and the camp came into view. It seemed mostly deserted: only a few people were ambling about, and she wondered where everyone else was. Out hunting maybe? It didn't really matter though. The person she needed to talk to was standing by the fire. With one last hard kick to the rock, she called out, “Hey,” as she approached Robin.

 

Robin offered her a half wave and he ambled over towards her, meeting her halfway. “Emma,” he greeted. “To what do we owe this visit?”

 

Emma felt irrationally irritated at his friendly tone and she rubbed the back of her neck, willing the irritation away. “It's about Regina.”

 

“Regina?” Robin tilted his head.

 

“Yeah. She...ummm…” Emma hesitated, not sure how to describe what had happened. “It was Zelena. A curse.”

 

“A curse?” Robin frowned. “What kind of curse?”

 

“Kind of like a sleeping curse, I guess.” Emma shrugged, shoving her hands in her back pockets. “She’s unconscious. At the hospital.”

 

Robin still looked confused. He leaned in a little closer, dropping his voice so that no one would overhear. “Are you here about her heart?”

 

It was Emma’s turn to frown in confusion. “Her heart?”

 

Robin’s eyes widened, his expression conveying that he’d probably just messed something up. “Sorry...I thought…” he trailed off.

 

“ _What_ about Regina’s heart?” Emma narrowed her eyes at him.

 

“I probably shouldn’t…” Robin trailed off again, looking uncomfortable.

 

“Tell me,” Emma insisted, forcefully.

 

Robin sighed but he nodded once, conceding, “The Queen asked me to look after her heart. To protect it.”

 

Emma’s eyes widened in surprise. Regina had given her heart to _this_ guy? _Seriously?_ She could feel her irritation mounting again and she rocked on the balls of her feet, trying to shove the feeling away. “Is it safe?” she couldn’t help but ask, her eyes darting around the camp as if she might be able to spot where it was stored.

 

“Yes,” Robin confirmed.  

 

Emma wanted to demand that Robin hand over Regina’s heart. She could do a much better job looking after it, she was sure of it. She was the one with magic after all - even if, sure, she didn’t have great control over it yet. Why wouldn’t Regina have asked for _her_ help?

 

Looking uncomfortable with the prolonged silence, Robin asked, “If this isn’t about Regina’s heart, then may I ask why you are here?”

 

“Right,” Emma nodded to herself, reminded that she was here for a reason. She swallowed thickly. “I...ummm...see, one of the fairies thought you might be able to wake Regina up.”

 

“ _Me_?” Robin looked truly puzzled by that.

 

“Yes,” Emma confirmed.

 

“Why?” Robin still looked puzzled.

 

Emma shrugged, shoving her hands further into her back pockets. “Tinkerbell thinks….you’re soulmates?” It came out more like a question than a statement. A statement that Emma hoped Robin would deny.

 

Robin looked surprised but the surprise was quickly replaced by something that looked an awful lot like delight and Emma could feel her irritation mounting yet again.

 

“What do you need me to do?” Robin asked.

 

Emma barely resisted the urge to sigh. “You should come to the hospital.”

 

xxxxxx

 

Emma was relieved that Snow was no longer at the hospital. She had no desire to explain this whole thing to her mother. She wasn't sure she could handle what was sure to be her mother’s delight at the news that Regina had a soulmate.

 

She hovered in the doorway while Robin approached Regina. He hesitated at the edge of the bed, looking back at Emma. “So...I just have to kiss her?”

 

Emma opened her mouth to speak but she couldn’t seem to get a word out past the lump in her throat, so she just nodded her confirmation.

 

Robin nodded back at Emma and then turned his attention to Regina lying still in the hospital bed. Slowly he bent down and pressed his lips to hers.

 

Emma hadn’t said he needed to kiss Regina _on the lips_ and she could feel that same irritation simmering inside her again. She didn’t know what exactly it was about Forest Boy that bothered her so much but, if her continued irritation was any indication, it was definitely _something_.

 

Robin held the kiss for what felt like forever but absolutely nothing happened. Eventually he straightened, looking back at Emma in the doorway. “It didn’t work?” he seemed almost confused.

 

“I guess not.” Emma shrugged, barely containing a smile. She probably shouldn’t be so happy that Regina was still cursed. But she couldn’t help it. Of course she wanted the curse placed on Regina to be broken but right now all she felt was immense relief that this forest dweller wasn’t Regina’s True Love.

 

Her relief didn’t mean anything, though. Of course it didn’t. She just thought that Regina deserved better than some guy who stole for a living and lived in a sketchy camp in the forest.   

 

xxxxxx

 

Child-Emma did not move from where she was curled up on the floor in the fetal position for a very long time.

 

When she finally did uncurl herself, pushing herself into a seated position, it was with a pained whimper that twisted new knots in Regina’s stomach.

 

The knots only twisted tighter when Emma stood stiffly and moved over to her bed, pulling out a nightgown from under her pillow and carefully removing her shirt and pants with more whimpering sounds.

 

For what felt like the hundredth time since she was cursed, nausea overcame Regina. Emma's bare torso was covered in bruises in a range of colours, yellow and purple and blue and black. It was clear that they were not all from today’s beating. If that wasn't bad enough, with her nightgown removed, it was even more obvious how painfully thin the child was. Regina sucked in a breath as she realized she could count every one of her ribs.

 

Helpless anger pulsed through her veins, making it impossible to see straight. She wanted to destroy these people. She wanted to burn this house down. Hell, she wanted to burn the whole world to the ground, at the sight of this little girl who deserved none of this. Where was Emma's social worker? Why was no one making sure she wasn't being kept in such a horrible place?

 

Why? Why? Why?

 

Confused, Regina watched as Emma winced in pain as she crawled under the bed. Was she hiding? No, that wasn’t it because the child was crawling back out from under the bed within seconds of disappearing under it.

 

Emma had a white knit blanket in her hands as she climbed up onto the bed and curled into a ball. A white knit blanket with purple ribbon and her name stitched on the side that she tucked under her chin, snuggling it tight against her chest as she curled into a ball on the bed, sad green eyes trained on the door as if she expected it to fling open.

 

Regina’s heart ached at the sight and she moved over, perching on the edge of the bed. Fingers reached out and brushed gently against a corner of the white knit blanket. Regina recognized this blanket, understood its importance. It was a blanket that had once upon a time been made with love for a child who was meant to be cherished and who had instead ended up _here_. Because of a destiny out of her control. Because of a wardrobe. Because of a curse. Because of _Regina’s_ curse.

 

In the quiet of the room, the only sound the occasional whimper or sniffle, the weight of _that_ , of her responsibility in what was happening here, of what _had_ happened to Emma, settled heavy on Regina’s chest.  

 

Regina’s fingers moved slowly from the white knit blanket, settling tentatively on the top of Emma’s head. They rested there, unmoving, for several minutes, and then slowly she began to stroke blonde hair over and over and over again. She knew that the child wouldn't be able to feel the gesture but Regina didn't stop, not even when Emma's eyes finally slid shut and she drifted into a restless sleep.

 

xxxxxx

 

Robin left after the failed True Love’s Kiss, which Emma thought was another sign that he wasn’t actually Regina’s soulmate. Wouldn't her soulmate stick by her side? Wouldn't her soulmate not want her to be alone in a hospital?

 

Emma moved over to the side of Regina’s hospital bed and reached for her hand, lacing their fingers together and squeezing gently.

 

She watched Regina for several long moments. Regina looked peaceful enough but Emma wondered where exactly it was that she was trapped. She hoped she wasn’t scared wherever it was that the curse had taken her.

 

“I knew that dude wasn’t going to be your True Love. I don’t even know why you would like him. He smells like a pine air freshener left out in the sun too long,” Emma joked quietly, her lips twitching into a sort of smirk as she thought of Robin but the smile quickly faded as her gaze returned to Regina’s still form.

 

She sighed softly, squeezing Regina’s hand gently again, her voice getting even quieter and so much more serious, “I’m going to figure this out, I promise. I’m going to wake you up. Just hold on a little longer, okay?”

 

xxxxxx

 

Emma stayed at the hospital for another half hour before she headed to Mary Margaret and David’s apartment to pick Henry up. She felt tired, weary, as she walked through the door of the apartment.

 

“Mom!” Henry bounced up from the couch where he was curled up playing with his Game Boy.

 

“Hey kid,” Emma gave Henry a genuine smile, ruffling his hair as he grumbled and pulled away. “Ready to go?”

 

“Yeah,” Henry agreed.

 

Emma looked over towards her parents who were standing in the kitchen. “Thanks for looking after Henry today.”

 

Mary Margaret and David were eyeing her curiously, clearly wondering about Regina, but Emma gave them a single head shake in the negative, hoping that they’d understand. She didn’t really want to talk about this right now. She just wanted to take Henry back to Granny’s and spend some time with her son.

 

“You don’t want to stay for dinner?” Mary Margaret asked gently.

 

“Not tonight,” Emma almost sighed, begging her mother with her eyes not to push.

 

“Okay,” Mary Margaret nodded. “Another night.”

 

“Sure.” Emma gave Mary Margaret a grateful smile. She reached over and settled a hand on Henry’s back, urging, “What do you say, Henry?”

 

Henry grinned, “Thanks. I had a good day.” He gave the couple that he didn’t know were his grandparents a half wave as they headed out of the apartment.

 

xxxxxx

 

“So are you going to tell me what’s going on?” Henry asked as they walked towards Granny’s.

 

“What do you mean?” Emma asked carefully.

 

“Come on, Mom,” Henry rolled his eyes at her in a way that was much too teenager-like for Emma’s liking. “I went through not one, not two, but _three_ babysitters today. Killian. Mary Margaret. David,” he ticked them off one by one on his fingers. “ _Obviously_ something is up.”

 

Emma sighed. This lying to Henry thing would be so much easier if her son wasn’t so observant. Well, really, it would be easier if she didn’t have to do it at all. She _hated_ lying to him. She decided, in this case, there was no reason not to tell him the truth, or most of it anyway. “Yes. You’re right. It’s Regina…”

 

“The mayor?” Henry tilted his head curiously, looking over at his mother.

 

“Yes,” Emma nodded. “There was...an accident.”

 

Henry’s brow scrunched up. “Is she okay?”

 

Emma paused and Henry stopped too. They stared at each other a long moment and then Emma shook her head, offering somberly, “No, she isn’t. She’s...in a coma.”

 

Henry’s eyes widened. “Oh.”

 

They started walking again. After a few minutes of silence, Henry asked, “What kind of accident was it?”

 

Emma froze, unsure what to say.

 

Henry stopped his eyes narrowing as he looked up at his mother. “It wasn’t an accident, was it?”

 

“No.” Emma swallowed.

 

Henry eyed her seriously. “Did the person who killed my dad hurt her?”

 

“Yes,” Emma nodded slowly, reaching over and placing her hand on Henry’s shoulder squeezing gently. “But you don’t have to worry. They aren’t going to hurt anyone else. I won’t let them.”

 

Perhaps it was a promise that she had no business making, but Henry had a familiar look on his face: one that radiated faith and belief in her. One that, even now, she wasn't sure she'd entirely earned, but its familiarity gave her confidence and certainty, and she felt herself calm.

 

She was going to stop Zelena. And she was going to wake Regina up. There were no other options.

 

xxxxxx

 

Sometime after the sun had set and the house had gotten really really quiet, Regina realized that she wasn’t going to sleep. Not that she didn’t want to try but that she physically could not.

 

Locked in Emma’s room with no way of getting out, she had nothing to do but think.

 

The night felt endless but by the time sun was finally filtering in through the blinds, she had a plan.

 

If this nightmare world was meant to truly represent the year 1990, it was possible it extended beyond this house. If it extended far enough, Storybrooke might exist here. And if Storybrooke existed, then her vault existed. And if she could just get to her vault, she might be able to find some way to break the curse, or, at the very least, make herself less useless.

 

Perhaps it wasn't the greatest of plans but it was better than just sitting around waiting to be rescued from this nightmare.

 

Now she just needed to get out of this house. Well, actually, first, she needed to get out of this room.

 

xxxxxx

 

Emma woke with a start from a fitful sleep.

 

The memory of angry dark eyes and a looming figure with large hands hovering over her made her shiver. She hadn’t had _that_ nightmare in a long time, although given what had happened yesterday, she supposed she should have expected it.

 

She’d done a pretty good job of burying her nightmarish stay with the Hendersons deep down somewhere where she could pretend that it hadn’t ever even happened. And she actually was pretty good at forgetting about it - well, except for when she _wasn’t_ . Reminders, like Zelena’s threat yesterday, had a frustrating tendency to bring that dark time clawing it’s way to the forefront of her brain. It was a tendency that she absolutely _hated_ . She hated that after all of these years, reminders of _that_ foster home could still make her blood run cold. It made her feel...unsettled. And weak. It made her feel weak: like the broken child she’d once been. And she _hated_ it.

 

Soft, even breathing from the bed beside hers told her that Henry was still sound asleep. She glanced over at the alarm clock. 6:15AM. Early, but not too early to get out of bed. It wasn’t as if she would be able to fall back asleep now anyway. And she needed to do something. Needed to get away from the thoughts currently taking up the space in her head.

 

She pulled on jeans and a long sleeve shirt in the dark and then carried her boots out into the hallway, locking the door behind her and then pulling the shoes on. She brushed a hand through her hair, untangling it as best she could, and then headed downstairs to the diner to get a cup of coffee.

 

xxxxxx

 

Emma was on her third cup of coffee, the diner slowly coming to life, when the doorbell chimed and she looked up just in time to see Tinkerbell walk in.

 

Spotting her, Tinkerbell smiled and approached the booth she was sitting in. “Emma, hi.”

 

Emma smiled back. “Hey.”

 

“Can I sit?” Tinkerbell asked.

 

Emma shrugged, nodding yes and motioning to the seat across from her.

 

Taking the seat, Emma noticed that Tinkerbell was practically vibrating with energy. She smiled at Emma again and asked hopefully. “So?”

 

Emma tilted her head uncertainly. “ _So_?”

 

“Did it work?” Tinkerbell clarified. “True Love’s Kiss? With Robin? Is Regina awake?”

 

“Oh,” Emma said in understanding, it occurring to her that _this_ might actually be why Tinkerbell was at the diner so early. After a beat of silence where Tinkerbell eyed her expectantly, she shook her head. “No. It didn’t.”

 

“Hmm…” Tinkerbell’s lips pursed. “Curious.”

 

Emma shrugged. “Maybe you were wrong about them being soulmates?” The question came out sounding a little too hopeful for her liking, and she scowled. She shouldn't care so much about Regina’s supposed soulmate but she just couldn't seem to help it.

 

“ _Perhaps_ ,” Tinkerbell agreed slowly, something about her expression suddenly seeming amused, as if Emma’s question was funny to her.

 

The way Tinkerbell’s eyes were twinkling was suddenly making Emma uncomfortable and she squirmed, drumming her hands against the table, trying to push the uncomfortable feeling away. “So, what do we do now?” she asked, wanting to push the conversation away from Regina’s soulmate.

 

“About what?” Tinkerbell asked curiously.

 

“Waking Regina up,” Emma supplied as if that should have been obvious - because she was pretty sure it should have been.

 

Tinkerbell shrugged one shoulder, eyes still twinkling. “Like Blue said yesterday, there’s only one way to break a curse. So, I guess you’ll just have to find Regina’s True Love.”

 

Tinkerbell looked far too amused for Emma’s liking. What exactly was so amusing about Regina being stuck in a nightmare where her only hope of being woken was Emma finding her True Love? That was the exact opposite of amusing. Emma scowled but didn’t say anything, choosing to finish her coffee instead, gulping it quickly, and then excusing herself under the pretense of having to check on Henry.    

 

xxxxxx

 

Henry was awake. He was still in his pajamas but he'd made his bed and was sitting cross-legged on top of the comforter flipping through a comic book.

 

“Hey kid,” Emma greeted, smiling at him.

 

“Hey Mom.” Henry looked up from his comic, returning her smile but slowly his expression darkened. “So who are you pawning me off on today?”

 

“What?” she frowned, wondering where this attitude was coming from.

 

“You're already up and dressed,” Henry provided as way of response. “Plus you've abandoned me basically every day since we got here. So it's not a stretch.”

 

Emma flinched at the word _abandoned._ Henry wasn't trying to deliberately hurt her - he didn't know that she'd actually given him up as a baby - but the word stung nonetheless. More so now with a second set of memories providing an answer to the _what if_ question that had plagued her since Henry had shown up on her doorstep. She didn’t want to snap at him, so she took a deep breath before answering, “You know I'm working on a case, Henry.”

 

“That you barely tell me anything about,” Henry grumbled.

 

Emma sighed. “I _can't_ , Henry. Not yet.”

 

“Fine, whatever,” Henry feigned indifference, looking back down at his comic and flipping the page just a little too harshly.

 

Emma sighed again, moving over to the bed and sitting down on the edge of it. She reached out and settled a hand on Henry’s shoulder, relieved when he didn't pull away. She rubbed his shoulder gently. “I'm sorry, kid. I know this sudden upheaval hasn't been easy for you.”

 

“I miss New York,” Henry said quietly, his eyes still trained on the comic book in front of him.

 

“I know,” Emma hummed softly, her hand still rubbing his shoulder.

 

Henry looked up from the comic, staring at Emma a long moment before he said, “Why can't I go stay with Walsh until you're done here?”

 

Emma swallowed thickly. “That's not an option, Henry.”

 

“Why not?” Henry protested.

 

Emma bit her lip. How was she supposed to explain this to Henry? Henry who was so clearly growing tired of her lies. She settled on a half truth. “Because he ended up not being the person I thought he was.”

 

Henry frowned, looking suddenly very worried and his tone was as serious as Emma had ever heard it when he asked, “Did he hurt you?”

 

Emma shook her head once. It wasn't exactly a lie. He hadn’t hurt her _physically_ . And, emotionally, well, she was still trying to sort that out. She'd thought that she'd loved Walsh, that he’d loved her, and knowing that it had all been fake did hurt, of course. But not the same way it would have hurt _without_ her memories. _With_ her memories it was clear to her that Walsh had been a way to fill the hole in her heart that had existed without her understanding why.

 

Henry looked like maybe he didn't believe her but he didn't push, just continued to watch her carefully. “So I _can't_ go back to New York?” he finally said, his tone light and his eyebrow quirked in what was clearly an attempt to dispel the tension.

 

Emma squeezed his shoulder, smiling at him. “Sorry, kid but you're stuck here with me until I get this thing solved.”

 

He nodded once and finally squirmed out from under her touch. “So who _am_ I getting pawned off on today?” It was the same question as before but without any of the animosity. “Killian? Leroy? David and Mary Margaret?”

 

Emma thought about it a minute. “How about me?”

 

“Don't you have like case stuff you need to do?” Henry looked confused.

 

“Not today. I really just need to check on Regina at the hospital.” Emma said. And maybe _need_ was a stretch. Sure she _was_ sort of worried about Zelena doing something while Regina was in such a vulnerable state. But still, she didn't exactly _need_ to check on Regina, not when she'd already made sure the hospital would call her if there was even the slightest change. No, it wasn't a _need_ but it was most definitely a want. She wanted to see for herself that Regina was still okay - or, well, maybe not _okay_ but still alive at the very least.

 

Besides, she also couldn’t help but wonder if maybe the fairies were wrong and somehow bringing Henry to the hospital today would break the curse. And then she wouldn't have to solve this True Love conundrum.

 

“You could come with me to the hospital and then we could do something fun,”  she added. “What do you say? Feel like spending the day with your old mom?”

 

Henry laughed, rolling his eyes at her, but then he grinned. “Yeah, sure.”

 

xxxxxx

 

Emma looked across Regina’s hospital bed at Henry. He was curled up in a hard plastic chair playing on his Game Boy. They’d been here almost an hour and, while he hadn’t complained, she knew that they should probably get going. Hospitals were no place for kids.

 

She looked down at Regina’s still form, squeezing the hand she had clasped in her own, before she sighed softly and looked back over at Henry. “Ready to get going?”

 

Henry looked up from his Game Boy, shrugging his shoulder. “Yeah, sure.”

 

Emma nodded, reluctantly letting go of Regina’s hand and pushing herself out of her chair.

 

Henry turned off his Game Boy, slipping it into his pocket, and standing too. “Can we get ice cream?” he asked hopefully.

 

“Sure kid,” Emma agreed easily. She slid her hands into her pockets as she glanced between Henry and Regina. She’d sort of hoped that Henry’s presence in the room would be enough to wake Regina. Of course she knew that that was a bit of a ridiculous hope. True Love’s Kiss sort of implied that an actual kiss, not just proximity, was required. But she didn’t really know how to ask her son to kiss a stranger. And, besides, the fairies had said that that wouldn’t work anyway. Yet, Emma still couldn’t help but wonder...what if they were wrong?

 

“Mom?” Henry called out.

 

Emma blinked slowly, realizing that she’d been lost in thought and she tore her gaze away from Regina to stare at her son. “Henry,” she said slowly, “If I asked you to do something kind of weird, would you?”

 

“Weird how?” Henry titled his head.

 

Emma hesitated, still unsure, but eventually the question slipped out because she just couldn’t not try. Not when Regina had taken this curse for her. Not when Regina was Henry’s mother even if he didn’t remember that. “Do you think you could kiss Regina goodbye?”

 

Henry’s forehead scrunched up in confusion. “ _Why_?”

 

Emma shrugged. “I dunno...I just…” It occurred to her then that maybe she should have spent the last hour coming up with a good reason for the request. As it was, she just stumbled through the only explanation she could come up with on the spot, “It just might help her...you know...uh...realize she isn’t alone.”

 

Henry’s forehead wrinkled further. “Don’t you think you holding her hand for like an hour would have already done that?”

 

“Uhh...no, not really,” Emma shook her head. She sounded ridiculous, she knew it.

 

Henry was still eyeing her like he thought she was a little crazy. “Then why don’t you just kiss her goodbye?”

 

Emma’s eyes widened and she shook her head even harder than before. “No, no, no...that would be weird.”

 

“Weirder than _me_ doing it?” Henry quirked an eyebrow at her.

 

Emma swallowed hard. She was pretty sure she was beet red now. “Never mind. Forget I asked.”

 

Henry eyed her for a long moment, confusion flittering across his face, and then with a shrug he moved back over to the hospital bed, leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to Regina’s cheek. He straightened, looking back at Emma expectantly. “There, _okay_?”

 

Emma held her breath, waiting for Regina to wake up, her heart thumping loudly in her chest in anticipation, but nothing happened.

 

“Are you okay, Mom?” Henry frowned as he moved back over towards her.

 

Emma ran her hand through her hair, snapping out of her stupor. “I’m fine.”

 

“You kind of look like you were expecting something to happen just then,” Henry said, still eyeing her curiously.

 

Sometimes Emma wished Henry wasn’t quite so perceptive. “No,” she shook her head. “Of course I wasn’t.” She reached over and wrapped an arm around Henry’s shoulders. “Now, what do you say about that ice cream?”

 

Henry side-eyed her like he wanted to say something else but instead he just shrugged. “I always say yes to ice cream. You know that, Mom.”     

 

xxxxxx  

 

Child-Emma was awake and dressed for the day, sitting nervously on the edge of the bed when there was the sound of metal sliding and the door to her room finally swung open.

 

It was Lorraine, not Jerry, on the other side of the door. “Hurry up, brat, or you're going to miss the bus.”

 

Emma said nothing. Instead, she scampered out of the room and down the hall to the washroom.

 

Regina seethed as she moved past the woman and down the hall in the opposite direction that Emma had headed. How could anyone speak to a child like that? How could anyone treat a child like this? Not for the first time she envisioned destroying these people. She just had to get to Storybrooke and then maybe that would be possible.

 

In a stroke of luck, Regina’s timing was impeccable. Jerry was opening the front door just as Regina entered the living room and she hurried forward, slipping outside before he could close the door once more.

 

She wasn't exactly sure how she was going to get to Storybrooke. To be honest, she wasn't even sure what State she was in. But at least she'd made it out of the house. She could figure the rest out.

 

She moved with purpose down the driveway, looking right and then looking left, before deciding to go left. The second she stepped off the property though, she was surrounded by familiar swirling mist, and moments later she was back in the hideous living room, green shag carpet under her feet.

 

Emma was screaming, loud and filled with pain, as her arm was twisted at an unnatural angle and for a moment Regina was frozen in shock. What kind of horror had she just caused by trying to leave?

 

Her non-heart raced as adrenaline and anger coursed through her veins and she surged forward, hands trying desperately to pry this monster away from Emma. It was pointless though. She was still more useless than a ghost. She screamed in frustration, trying once more, fruitlessly, to yank Jerry away. “You son of a bitch. Let her go. Let her go. Let her go.”

 

He didn’t let go. Not until there was a sickening sound that surely meant that he’d just broken Emma’s arm. Regina stumbled backwards, doubling over and dry-heaving the non-existent contents of her stomach.

 

Watching child-Emma sob, all Regina could think was that this was _her_ fault. And not just because she should never have tried to leave. Yes, these monsters disguised as foster parents were to blame, but this man would have never been anywhere near Emma if it wasn’t for _her_ curse. The same guilt from the previous evening returned full force, settling in her chest - it was nearly crippling.

 

xxxxxx

 

“So,” Emma said to Henry the next day at breakfast. “How do you feel about spending the day with Mary Margaret and David?”

 

“Why? What are you going to do?” Henry asked but he didn’t give Emma an opportunity to answer, guessing, “You’re going to visit the mayor at the hospital again, aren't you?”

 

Was she that transparent? Emma shrugged. “I need to follow up on some leads, thank you very much.”

 

“ _Sure_ ,” Henry quirked an eyebrow at her, the expression so Regina that it made Emma’s heart ache. “Is one of those leads at the hospital?”

 

“ _Maybe_ ,” Emma drew the word out slowly, narrowing her eyes across the table at him. “You should be nicer to me, you know. I’m your mother.”

 

Henry just grinned at her and then after a beat said, “You should bring her flowers.”

 

That surprised Emma. “Why?”

 

“That's what you're supposed to do when someone's in the hospital. _Duh_ ,” he rolled his eyes. “Especially when you like them.”

 

Emma was suddenly flustered, unable to keep the blush from creeping up her neck, as she rambled out a response, “I don't like Regina. I mean, I do. Of course I do. But just not the way I think you mean.”

 

Henry rolled his eyes again. “Okay Mom, sure, whatever you say.”

 

“I _don’t_ ,” Emma insisted but the expression on Henry’s face told her that he really didn’t believe her.

 

xxxxxx

 

Not too long later, Emma was walking through the door of Regina’s hospital room, carrying a vase of assorted flowers that she’d picked up at Game of Thorns. She shuffled almost awkwardly over to the side of Regina’s bed, setting the flowers down on the little table beside the bed, spinning them once, twice, a third time.

 

As she fiddled with the vase, she rambled, “So I brought you some flowers. I don't really know what kind of flowers you like...but these seemed...nice. This isn't weird, right? Me bringing flowers?” Giving up on turning the vase, she looked over at Regina’s still form. “It was Henry’s idea. And I just thought you would like that. You know, that he wanted you to have flowers. They’re cheery, I guess. Maybe...maybe somehow you’ll know they’re here and whatever nightmare you’re in will be just a little less nightmare-y?”

 

It was stupid, she knew. Bringing flowers was not a solution. Visiting in general wasn't a solution. She really just needed to focus on finding Regina’s True Love. The problem was that she had no clue where to even start. Should she hold auditions? Like a sort of Bachelorette kind of thing - only with the bachelorette being unconscious? Okay, so _that_ seemed like a not great idea.

 

“I’m sorry I suck at this.” Emma sighed, her hand reaching towards the bed, her fingers brushing gently against the back of Regina’s hand.

 

If Regina were awake she’d know what to do. Emma was sure of it.

 

xxxxxx

 

Leaving the house of horrors was apparently possible, Regina realized. She just had to do it _with_ Emma.

 

They were currently in the emergency room.

 

The horrible excuse for a human being that was Emma’s foster father had chosen to put on his police uniform before they went to hospital - Regina presumed to win himself some kind of favour with the hospital staff. There had also been a string of threats, delivered menacingly the entire drive to the hospital, about what would happen if Emma were to tell the truth about how her arm had been broken. Emma had just clutched her arm to her chest and whimpered her agreement.

 

Now, Regina watched, completely horrified, as the emergency room doctor took one look at the police uniform and bought the ill-conceived story about how Emma had fallen out of a tree. Could this man really be so naive? Or did he just not care about the safety of this child?

 

She wanted to scream, she wanted to throw things, she wanted to pick Emma up and carry her out of here. Take her far, far away. But she was still more useless than a ghost. She could do nothing more than bear witness to this horror. Well, that and she could make a list of all of the people she was going to track down and eviscerate when - _if_ \- she got out of this nightmare world. Inept emergency room doctor was definitely going on her list. She wondered how high up on that list she was going to have to put her own name.

 

xxxxxx

 

Since the fairies had been a bust, Emma decided that Belle might be able to help her wake Regina. There had to be a way to track down someone’s True Love. Maybe something similar to the soulmate tracking that Tinkerbell had mentioned?

 

The bell chimed as she walked into the pawn shop. “Hello?” she called, as she looked around the empty shop.

 

“One minute,” a muffled call came from the back of the shop and then Belle emerged, smiling as she spotted Emma. “Emma, hi. What can I do for you today?”

 

“Hey, Belle.” Emma returned the smile, moving over to the counter and leaning against it. She drummed one of her hands against the glass. “So...umm...I kinda need your help...do you have anything in this shop that will find a person’s True Love?”

 

Belle’s brow furrowed. “You want to find your True Love?” She sounded surprised.

 

“No, no,” Emma shook her head. “Not _my_ True Love.”

 

Belle still looked confused. “Then whose?”

 

Emma rubbed the back of her neck. “You...uh...heard about Regina? Being cursed?”

 

Belle’s eyes widened. “You’re trying to help, Regina?”

 

“Yes,” Emma confirmed.

 

“Emma,” Belle said carefully. “I’m sorry but I can’t really say I’m eager to help Regina. Not after everything she’s done to me.”

 

Emma sighed. She supposed she couldn’t blame Belle but she wasn’t ready to give up either. “But you wouldn’t be helping Regina, you’d be helping _me_.”

 

Belle titled her head in a way that Emma suspected meant that she thought that that was just semantics.

 

“Please,” Emma said, not even as bothered as she probably should be by how ridiculously desperate she sounded. “She took that curse for me. I can’t...I can’t just leave her there.”

 

Belle looked surprised again, her eyes wide. “Regina took the curse for you?”

 

Emma swallowed thickly, nodding her head slowly in the affirmative.

 

Belle sighed softly. “I’m sorry,” she said and this time she really did sound apologetic, “But I really don’t know of a way to locate a person’s True Love.”

 

“Nothing?” Emma’s shoulders sagged.

 

Belled eyed her sympathetically a long moment. “I could do some research,” she finally said. “There may be something I don’t know about.”

 

“You’d do that?” Emma asked hopefully.

 

“Yes,” Belle confirmed. “For you.”

 

xxxxxx

 

Emma left the pawn shop, trying not to feel too disappointed. At least now Belle was going to look for an answer. An answer she might not find, mind you - but it was better than the nothing that was being done before.

 

She sighed, checking the time on her phone. It was still early in the afternoon. She definitely had time to go check on Regina again before she went to pick Henry up.

 

Sliding her phone back into her pocket, she headed in the direction of the hospital. She was just walking past Granny’s when she spotted Hook coming out of the building. She barely resisted the urge to groan. She gave him a half wave and then shoved her hands in her pockets and kept walking, picking up her pace a bit. 

 

“Emma, wait!” He called after her.

 

She didn’t slow down but he caught up with her, regardless.

 

“Didn’t you hear me?” He asked, falling into step beside her.

 

“Sorry,” Emma shrugged, not really answering his question.

 

“I was just looking for you,” Hook said. “I thought you might want to get a late lunch? Or a coffee?”

 

“I’m going to the hospital,” Emma said tersely.

 

“Is Regina awake?” Hook questioned.

 

“No,” Emma’s teeth gritted together at the question.

 

“Then checking on her can wait, can’t it?” Hook said, as if it was just a friendly suggestion. “We haven’t seen each other in a few days,” he added.

 

Emma’s head snapped over in his direction, her eyes narrowing into an angry glare. “Regina is cursed. I’ve been a little occupied,” she gritted out.

 

Hook held up his hand, as if in apology. “Sorry, sorry.”

 

The apology did nothing to calm Emma’s ire. He didn’t even sound that sorry: he just sounded like he didn’t understand why she was angry.

 

“I just thought you would miss me,” Hook said.

 

She stopped walking abruptly. She couldn’t do this anymore. She couldn’t pretend to tolerate his obvious advances for the sake of his ego, or of keeping the peace, or for whatever reason she hadn’t told him to get lost before - right now she couldn’t remember what that reason might have been.

 

“Look,” she said. “I’m done doing this with you. I’m _not_ interested in you. I’m not ever going to be. And, to be honest here, if there ever _was_ any hope for you, you trying to talk me out of visiting Regina while she is in the hospital under a curse that was meant for me, a curse that she _took_ for me, would have destroyed that hope anyway.” She was practically yelling by the end of her speech, and maybe she should feel badly about crushing his idiotic hopes, but she didn’t feel anything but relief at having an outlet for her frustration. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t tried to let him down gently in the past. He never should have suggested she not visit Regina.

 

“But-” Hook started.

 

“I don’t have time for this,” Emma interrupted him. “I need to go to the hospital.”

 

She didn’t wait for him to respond, she just resumed walking, her pace rapid. She breathed a sigh of relief when she realized he wasn’t following.         

 

xxxxxx

 

It was lunchtime two days later when Robin Hood came bursting through the door of the diner looking panicked.

 

Spotting Emma sitting with Henry, he rushed over. “Emma,” he rasped out, a little breathless, as if he'd been running, “I need to talk to you.” He glanced between Emma and Henry and then added, “ _alone_.”

 

Emma swallowed her bite of grilled cheese, told Henry that she'd be right back, and then followed Robin Hood to the hallway where Henry wouldn't overhear their conversation.

 

“It's Zelena,” Robin rushed out as soon as they were far enough away. “She…” he swallowed, hesitating almost nervously a moment before finishing, “She's got Regina’s heart.”

 

Emma's eyes widened in surprise and she snapped out too loudly, “What?! _How_?!” She knew that Regina never should have left her heart with Forest Boy.

 

“She used the Dark One,” Robin explained. “He threatened Roland. I...I couldn't…” he looked genuinely distressed.

 

Emma's heart dropped to her stomach. If Zelena had Regina’s heart that meant Regina might already be…. _dead_. Panic mounted within Emma at that thought and she didn't bother saying anything to Robin. She just spun and rushed back into the diner.

 

“Henry, I have to go, stay here,” she told her son.

 

Henry looked perplexed at the rushed instruction but Emma didn't have time to say anything else, not when it might already be too late. “ _Please_ ,” she added before he could protest and then, without waiting for a response, she darted out of the diner.

 

Her eyes drifted to the Bug parked not too far away but her keys were back in the room and the hospital wasn't _that_ far away, so she just took off running.

 

She didn't slow down as she raced in through the front entrance of the hospital, just ran right past the elevator, which she couldn’t wait for, and up the two flights of stairs to the floor Regina’s room was on. Her lungs were protesting angrily by the time she was barrelling into Regina’s room, and she doubled over, her hands resting on her knees as she gasped for air, pretty sure she was going to vomit as she registered the steady beeping on the heart monitor.

 

 _Regina is alive_ . _Regina is alive. Regina is alive._ She repeated over and over again in her head with every panting breath she took.

 

Eventually her breathing returned to normal and her heart calmed. She straightened, moving over to the edge of the hospital bed. She swallowed thickly and reached out, taking Regina’s hand and lacing their fingers together, her eyes settling on Regina’s face. “You're alive,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

 

She wasn't sure how long she stood there in an almost trance but she was eventually disrupted by the sound of a throat clearing behind her. She dropped Regina’s hand and turned around to see who was there. She was not exactly surprised to see Robin.

 

Robin looked hesitant, uncertain. “She's okay?”

 

Emma just stared at him for a minute but then she sighed softly. “For now.”

 

“I'm really sorry,” he said, looking truly remorseful.

 

Emma sighed again. “Regina wouldn't have wanted a child to get hurt.” And she knew that was true. Knew that this wasn't _really_ Robin’s fault.

 

She also knew that waking Regina from the curse was even more important now. She _needed_ to wake Regina before Zelena did whatever it was she was planning with her heart.

 

xxxxxx

 

Even hours later, Emma still felt unsettled. Knowing that Zelena had Regina’s heart, knowing that Zelena could choose to crush it at any moment and that Emma would be suddenly in a world without Regina was terrifying. And there was nothing she could do about it. She wanted to storm the farmhouse, demand that Zelena hand over the heart. The only thing stopping her, really, was that she was sure that would end terribly.

 

“Are you sure the mayor is okay?” Henry frowned at her from across the table.

 

Emma looked up from where she’d been pushing pasta around her plate. “Yes. I told you it was a false alarm.”

 

Henry’s frown deepened. “Then why are you acting so…” he trailed off, not finishing the thought.

 

Emma sighed, her mood was clearly affecting Henry and she owed him some kind of explanation. She couldn’t tell him the truth, of course, but she could tell him _something_. “I’m sorry that I’m….” she hesitated on what to call her current mood, settling for, “Distracted.”

 

She watched Henry carefully across the table. When he didn’t immediately respond, she added seriously, “I guess...I just thought that Regina would be awake by now. And it’s difficult knowing that she isn’t.”

 

“Oh,” Henry nodded, seeming to consider that as his attention went back to his dinner. After several minutes of the scraping of fork against plate, he looked back up and across the table. “Can I ask you something, Mom?”

 

“Of course,” Emma nodded.

 

“Is the mayor the reason we came to Storybrooke?” Henry asked, looking genuinely curious to know the answer.

 

Emma’s brow crinkled, confused by the question and where he might be going with it. “No? Why?”

 

“I just…” Henry seemed to hesitate, as if he didn’t know if he should say anything else or not. “I thought maybe...you said no to Walsh’s proposal...and I just...I know you said he wasn’t who you thought he was...but I also kind of thought that maybe Regina was the reason why.”

 

Emma was even more confused now. Why on earth would Henry think that?

 

“Regina wasn’t….what happened with Walsh had nothing to do with Regina. What gave you that idea?”

 

Henry shrugged his shoulders. “That day I spent with the mayor. She seemed surprised about Walsh. And kind of…jealous. I thought maybe you two were…exes or something.”

 

Emma’s eyebrows creeped towards her hairline in surprise. Regina was jealous of Walsh? Henry thought they were exes? She didn’t even know where to start with an answer. “I...we...Regina and I _aren’t_ exes, Henry. Not even close.”

 

“Oh.” Henry’s brow crinkled a minute in thought. “But you _do_ love her, right?”

 

“ _What_ ?” If Emma had taken a sip of water at that exact moment she probably would have spit it out. _Seriously?_ Where was Henry getting these ideas?

 

“The mayor. Regina. You love her, right?” Henry repeated the question.

 

“No, no, no,” Emma shook her head rapidly at him.

 

“So earlier when you freaked out when you thought something was wrong with her...that didn't mean anything?” Henry asked, although the question sounded more rhetorical than anything. As if he thought her worry about Regina proved his point.

 

“Regina is my _friend_. That was why I was worried,” Emma insisted.

 

Henry quirked a disbelieving eyebrow at her. “You literally ran out of the diner to the hospital when you thought something had happened to her.” He stated it like the fact that it was, again as if it proved his point.

 

Emma swallowed. “ _So_?”

 

“You visit her every day. Usually more than once,” Henry added, his voice still matter-of-fact, as if he was making some kind of list of reasons why Emma loved Regina. “And you hold her hand at the hospital.”

 

“I already said… she's my _friend_ , Henry,” Emma insisted.

 

“Sure Mom,” Henry shrugged at her, almost indifferently, as if he didn’t believe her but he wasn’t all that interested in arguing.

 

“ _Henry_ ,” Emma said warningly. Why wouldn’t he just believe what she was saying?  

 

Henry folded his hands on the table, eyeing her seriously, “All I'm saying is that it's okay if you love her. I would be totally okay with that.”

 

“I’m _not_ in love with Regina,” Emma denied just a little too forcefully. She was sure if she looked in the mirror right then, her cheeks would be tinged red.

 

“Okay,” Henry shrugged. His words said he believed her but his face told a completely different story.

 

Emma barely resisted the urge to groan.

 

xxxxxx

 

Emma barely slept and the next morning, as if pulled there by a force that she had no control over, Emma found herself back at the hospital sitting in the uncomfortable chair beside Regina’s hospital bed for what felt like the hundredth time in the last few days. Her knee bounced up and down as she watched the steady rise and fall of Regina’s chest.

 

She wasn't sure why she kept coming here. She doubted that Regina had any idea she was here and any concern she might have had over Zelena coming after Regina while she was incapacitated were pretty much moot now that the witch had Regina’s heart. If Zelena wanted to hurt Regina now all she would have to do was crush her heart.

 

The thought made Emma shudder and she shook her head, shaking it away, letting her thoughts land elsewhere - on the conversation she'd had with Henry the previous evening. Henry had an overactive imagination. He always had - even if _technically_ that time he'd believed in fairytales it had turned out to be true.

 

“You're not going to believe what Henry thinks,” Emma scoffed lightly, her eyes shifting from the steady rise and fall of Regina’s chest up to her ever peaceful face. “He thinks I’m in love with you...which is completely crazy, right? I mean...I care about you. _Obviously_. You're the mother of my son. And...sort of... my friend, I guess?”

 

She wasn't sure _friend_ was the right word. But she didn't know what else to call Regina. Didn't know what kind of moniker would be most appropriate to assign to the person who had stood at the town line and had given her new and _good_ memories of years with Henry, the what-if-she-hadn’t-given-him-up story that was now _real_ to her, perhaps even more so than what had actually happened _._ It was the nicest thing that anyone had ever done for her, even if it was all kinds of confusing to separate her real and her fake memories now.

 

Emma sighed, raking a hand through her long hair, mumbling mostly to herself, “It's definitely crazy…”

 

Seemingly of their own volition, her eyes were drawn to Regina’s lips. She would be lying if she said she hadn't thought about kissing those lips before. The thought had definitely crossed her mind before the original curse had broken, when Regina had seemed to be constantly invading her personal space. It had been so easy then to imagine closing the tiny gap and just pressing their lips together, turning the fury into something else. After the curse had broken Regina hadn't been apt to stand nearly so close - but there had still been plenty of times Emma had imagined kissing her. At least a dozen times in Neverland and then again at the town line when _my gift to you is good memories_...

 

But that wasn't weird, right? Thinking about kissing someone was a natural response in situations so rife with emotion, _right_?

 

Emma sighed again. “... It's crazy.” This time the statement was much less certain. This time it sounded like she was trying to convince herself of its craziness, rather than having any certainty in it.

 

It was crazy. Probably. But what if….

 

She sat up straighter, scooting forward until she was balanced on the edge of the chair.

 

It was crazy. But it didn't hurt to try, did it?

 

She reached forward and placed a hand on Regina’s forearm, stroking warm skin gently with the pad of her thumb. Her heart thumped loudly in her chest and then before she could talk herself out of it, she rose from the chair so that she was hovering over Regina. Hand still resting lightly against Regina’s forearm, she bowed her head slowly, pressing her lips gently to Regina’s forehead. She held the kiss for several long seconds and then, trying not to be disappointed, she started to pull back.

 

She'd known it was crazy. What had she been thinking?

 

She was still pulling back when there was a sudden flash of light and then Regina’s eyes began to flutter under still-closed lids.

 

Emma’s eyes widened, disappointment rapidly being replaced with hope, and she held her breath, still hovering over Regina.

 

And then brown eyes blinked open, staring up at her in confusion.


	2. Part II: I understand just where you get second thoughts

Regina’s eyes blinked slowly open. She groaned, confused, staring up at the pair of green eyes hovering over her - they were the same green eyes that she'd been watching a moment ago and yet they were somehow so different, so much less vulnerable, and right now, more than anything, they looked surprised.

 

“W-what?” Regina tried to ask what had happened but the word stuck in her throat. She swallowed thickly, her mouth so dry it felt like it was filled with cotton.

 

Emma just kept staring at her, eyes wide and uncertain now and then she straightened, literally jumping back. “I'm going to get the doctor.”

 

Before Regina could say anything to stop her, Emma rushed out of the room.

 

Regina pushed herself up in the bed and looked around the now empty hospital room, her eyes falling on a vase filled with nearly fresh flowers on the small table to the right of the hospital bed. She wondered who had brought them.

 

xxxxxx

 

Dr. Whale unhooked the electrodes monitoring the beating of Regina’s non-heart and reached for the stethoscope around his neck.

 

“I don't need to be checked over,” Regina snapped in displeasure. “It was a curse, not a medical ailment.”

 

Emma stood in the doorway of the room, biting her lip, looking worried. “ _Regina_. Stop being difficult.”

 

Regina sighed exaggeratedly but she couldn't really say no. Not when Emma was standing there looking worried. Not when terrified green eyes and heartbreaking whimpering were still so fresh in her mind. “Fine,” she agreed tersely, letting Dr. Whale bring the stethoscope to her chest to listen to her breathing.

 

Dr. Whale pulled out a pen light next, flashing it in Regina’s eyes and then asking her to follow his finger. “You seem fine,” he decided, returning the light to his pocket.

 

“Of course I'm fine,” Regina snapped out, her eyes, almost of their own volition, sliding over to look at Emma.

 

Emma was still biting her lip, watching Regina with uncertain eyes, but she didn't say anything.

 

“I can go home now?” Regina looked back at Dr. Whale, quirking an eyebrow. It was much less a request and more of a demand.

 

“Yes,” Dr. Whale agreed and when Regina gave him an expectant look, he nodded once and shuffled out of the room.

 

Regina watched him leave and then her eyes found Emma again. She couldn’t help but stare at the unreadable green eyes watching her, her non-heart thumping loudly in her chest. She swallowed thickly and tried to push away memories from the nightmare she’d been cursed to. Tried not to picture a scared child standing in grown Emma’s place. “How did you break the curse?” she asked, finally, filling silence that was becoming awkward.

 

Emma’s eyes widened, surprised, and maybe just a little alarmed, as she rushed out, “I - I didn’t. I mean. I don’t know how....”

 

Regina couldn’t help but quirk an eyebrow, confused by Emma’s seeming panic at the question. “You don’t know,” she repeated slowly, disbelieving.

 

Emma shook her head, swallowing hard, a hand raking almost nervously through blonde hair. “I was just...checking on you. And you just sort of...woke up.”

 

Regina’s brow crinkled. One did not just wake up from a curse. That was not how curses worked. But she didn’t understand why Emma wouldn’t just say how the curse had been lifted if she knew. Regina couldn’t fathom a reason why Emma would hold back the truth, which led her to believe that maybe Emma really _didn’t_ know. Even if she was acting incredibly odd. “Perhaps…Henry wasn’t here, was he?” The question came out more hesitant than Regina intended and she hated how hopeful her voice sounded.

 

Emma watched her curiously but she shook her head, looking sympathetic and apologetic all at once. “I thought of that…” she sighed. “But he still doesn’t remember you.”

 

Regina couldn’t help the wave of disappointment, the ache of knowing that her son, the light of her life, still thought she was a stranger. Emma’s words were soothing in a way though. There was something reassuring about knowing that Emma didn’t doubt that Henry would have been able to wake her had he had his memories. Henry was the only person Regina could imagine being able to lift a curse from her.         

 

Emma still looked apologetic, sliding her hands into her pockets and offering, “Why don’t I take you home?”

 

Regina sighed. She supposed they could sort out how the curse had been broken later. _How_ didn’t matter nearly as much as the fact that it _had_ been.

 

Sure, Storybrooke wasn’t exactly a dream right now either. Not with Henry not remembering her. Not with a year of lost memories. Not with Zelena wreaking havoc. But at least she could try and do something about those problems. At least here, no longer stuck in that nightmare curse, she wasn’t more useless than a ghost.

 

xxxxxx

 

“How long?” Regina asked as they headed for the elevator.

 

“How long what?” Emma asked confused, her eyes sliding over to eye Regina curiously.

 

“How long was I under that curse?” Regina clarified as they stepped into the elevator.

 

Emma pushed the button for the ground floor before she answered Regina. “Five days.”

 

Regina nodded at the information, lips pursing as she looked away from Emma’s scrutinizing gaze.

 

Regina’s lack of response didn’t seem to deter Emma. “How long did it _feel_ like?” she asked.

 

Regina considered Emma’s question. “Longer,” she decided as the elevator doors dinged back open. And it was true. Every minute in that horrible place had felt like a lifetime.

 

xxxxxx

 

Someone was standing on the front porch of the manor when Emma pulled the Bug into the driveway. Not _someone_ \- Mary Margaret.

 

“What is your mother doing here?” Regina’s teeth gritted together.

 

Emma groaned. “I told her not to come.”

 

Regina quirked a curious eyebrow at Emma.

 

“She didn't think you should be alone... you know... since you’re just getting out of the hospital.” Emma shrugged.

 

“She does know that being cursed isn't the same as having pneumonia, yes?” Regina asked.

 

Emma laughed, shaking her head at Regina. “I’m pretty sure she knows plenty about being cursed.”

 

Regina scowled, which only made Emma laugh harder.

 

xxxxxx

 

Mary Margaret had brought groceries to make lunch.

 

Snow White making her lunch - it was preposterous. And yet Regina currently sat, somewhat uncomfortably, at her kitchen table, letting Mary Margaret flutter around her kitchen. She wasn't sure why she hadn't just told Mary Margaret to get lost. Well, that was a lie. She did know why. It was Emma's fault. On the front porch Emma had looked at her with eyes pleading with her to play nice and Regina had been horrifyingly incapable of saying no. She didn't like this one bit.

 

Emma had been banned from participating in lunch preparation as well and she sat beside Regina at the table, her fingers drumming an odd beat against the table top.

 

“Would you stop that?” Regina finally said when the incessant drumming continued to get louder.

 

“Sorry." Emma’s hand stilled, her expression sheepish.

 

Mary Margaret eyed them curiously from the kitchen island where she was putting the finishing touches on sandwiches. Her eyes lingered on Emma a long moment, the not so subtle look she gave her daughter seeming to be urging Emma on - although, for what, Regina wasn't sure.

 

Emma sighed. “Regina...we kind of need to talk about something.”

 

Regina tilted her head, eyeing Emma warily. Was Emma going to ask about the nightmare curse? Regina wasn't sure she wanted to talk to Emma about that. Not right now anyway. And certainly not with Mary Margaret listening. “About what?” she asked carefully.

 

“Just don't freak out,” Emma said instead of answering.

 

“You can't ask me that when you haven't told me what we need to talk about.” Regina’s non-heart raced faster, worry settling into the pit of her stomach. “Is it Henry? Did something happen to Henry?”

 

Emma's eyes widened and she shook her head rapidly. “No, no. Henry’s fine. He's with David right now.”

 

 _Not with Hook?_ The snide question was on the tip of Regina’s tongue but she kept it to herself, instead shooting Emma an expectant look, waiting for an explanation.

 

“It's about your heart,” Emma finally explained.

 

“My heart,” Regina repeated, fingers reaching up to brush against the place below her collarbone where her heart ought to be. Except it wasn't. She'd left her heart in the forest with Robin Hood.

 

“Zelena has it,” Emma said quietly, seriously.

 

“What?!” Regina’s eyes widened, her eyebrows arching towards her hairline.

 

“She threatened Robin’s kid. He didn't have a choice,” Emma explained and, though she sounded like she believed what she was saying, there was a flash of something else in her eyes that Regina couldn't quite understand - annoyance perhaps.

 

Regina nodded once in understanding. Robin had made the right choice. She wouldn't have wanted a child to be hurt because of her. Fingers still resting against her chest where her heart ought to be, Regina glanced between Emma and Mary Margaret. “But I'm still alive.”

 

It didn't make sense. If Zelena had her heart, why hadn't she crushed it?

 

“Right,” Emma nodded unhelpfully.

 

“Why?” Regina wondered out loud. “What does Zelena need my heart for?”

 

“We were sort of hoping you would know,” Mary Margaret said as she carried plates with chicken sandwiches on them over to the table.

 

xxxxxx

 

It had to be for a spell of some kind, Regina decided. First David’s courage and now her heart - those were ingredients. For which spell though, Regina wasn't sure and she certainly wasn’t going to figure it out sitting at her kitchen table. She would have just as soon abandoned lunch and headed immediately for her vault to do some research but Mary Margaret had insisted that they eat and Emma, well Emma hadn’t said anything but she’d looked at the plate of sandwiches with the kind of longing expression she often seemed to get when there was food in front of her. It was an expression that Regina had noticed before but not understood. But now there was the memory of the grumbling of an empty stomach and of protruding ribs that could be easily counted to provide plenty of understanding.

 

So they were eating first. They could go to the vault later.

 

Emma seemed more interested in devouring what, by Regina’s assessment, was a mediocre sandwich at best than having any further conversation but the same, unfortunately, could not be said for Mary Margaret. Not that that was all so surprising to Regina.

 

“What was it like?” Mary Margaret asked.

 

“What was _what_ like?” Regina quirked an eyebrow across the table.

 

“The curse,” Mary Margaret clarified as if that should have been obvious. “Emma told us Zelena said it would trap you in your worst nightmare?”

 

Regina stiffened. She wasn’t sure what was worse - the question itself or the horrible sympathetic expression on Mary Margaret’s face. Her eyes flickered of their own volition over to Emma, who was chewing slowly, watching Regina with curious eyes. “It was…” Regina swallowed hard, unable to look at Emma any longer, her eyes sliding back to Mary Margaret, “none of your business.”

 

Mary Margaret didn’t seem bothered by that answer, and she certainly didn’t heed it as the warning Regina had intended it to be. “Was it Daniel? Your worst nightmare?”

 

“No,” Regina’s teeth gritted together, irritation mounting. Was Snow really going to push this?

 

Mary Margaret opened her mouth but Emma cut in, warning carefully, “ _Mary Margaret.”_

 

Mary Margaret’s eyes darted over to look at her daughter. “But Emma, if she doesn’t talk about it with us, who is she going to talk to about it with? It isn’t good to hold things like that in.”

 

Emma’s eyes widened, looking a little like she thought her mother was crazy, and, if Regina wasn’t so annoyed, she might have been amused by the expression. But there was no room for amusement - not when this line of questioning was about to lead somewhere very uncomfortable. This was just like Snow: incapable of keeping her nose out of Regina’s business.

 

Mary Margaret was looking at Regina again, that same horrible sympathetic expression on her face, imploring in a sickeningly sweet tone, “So what do you say, Regina? Will you talk to us?”

 

“No,” Regina said tightly.

 

“Regina-” Mary Margaret started to protest.

 

“It wasn’t _my_ worst nightmare,” Regina cut her off in exasperation, immediately regretting saying that much. Her eyes widened and she couldn’t keep herself from looking over at Emma.

 

Emma seemed frozen, green eyes wide as she watched Regina, the hand holding her sandwich hovering mid air.

 

“What do you mean?” Mary Margaret asked, clearly confused.

 

Regina ignored her, incapable of looking away from Emma.

 

Emma swallowed hard, looking suddenly very pale as she lowered the sandwich slowly down onto her plate.

 

“What-” Mary Margaret started to ask again but then stopped, “... _oh_.”

 

Regina didn’t need to look over at Mary Margaret to realize that she’d figured it out or that she must be looking at Emma now too. The sudden flicker of panic in Emma’s eyes told her as much. It wasn’t just panic, there was something close to fear reflecting in wide green eyes, something that reminded Regina so very much of child-Emma’s eyes.

 

Emma pushed her chair back from the table, her eyes finally breaking contact with Regina’s, a shaky hand running through her hair as she stood. “I...uh...I’ve got to go. I forget that...uh...I’ve got something I need to do.”

 

“Emma!” Mary Margaret tried to stop her. “Wait.”

 

Emma’s eyes darted towards Mary Margaret but she was already heading for the door. “Sorry. I’ll...uh...call you later.”

 

Mary Margaret stood, clearly prepared to follow Emma out.

 

“ _Snow_ ,” Regina said sharply and, whether it was because of the tone Regina had chosen or the use of her Enchanted Forest name, Mary Margaret stopped.

 

Mary Margaret looked over at Regina expectantly.

 

“Let her go,” Regina said evenly. “Give her time.”

 

Mary Margaret looked like she wanted to protest, but instead, she sighed and dropped back into the kitchen chair. She looked pained and maybe once upon a time that would have made Regina happy but it didn’t now. Not when the pain on Snow’s face was because of something that had happened to Emma.

 

“What was it?” Mary Margaret asked. “Her worst nightmare? What was it?”

 

Regina stiffened, shaking her head. “I am not going to tell you.” She couldn’t believe that Snow expected her to tell her. Well, she could, but that didn’t mean that it didn’t disappoint her. And it certainly didn’t mean that she was going to say anything. There was no way she would _ever_ reveal anything about Emma’s past without Emma’s consent. If Emma wanted her parents to know about her childhood, then that was up to Emma, no one else.

 

“Regina,” Mary Margaret pleaded, “she’s my daughter. I have a right to know.”

 

“No you do not,” Regina snapped. “You lost the right to know anything about your daughter’s childhood when you sent her through a tree and hoped for the best.”

 

“We _had_ to do that,” Mary Margaret snapped back, fierce and stubbornly insistent that there had been no other way. And maybe there hadn't been. “She would have been cursed with the rest of us if we hadn’t.”

 

Regina didn’t say anything to that, her teeth just gritted tighter together. She was angry but it wasn’t really Snow that she was angry with. Not _just_ Snow anyway. It was every single person that had anything at all to do with Emma winding up in that home, in that nightmare. And there were so many people to blame. Snow. And David. And that insipid Blue Fairy. And Rumple. And Gepetto. And Pinocchio. And _herself_. She hated every last one of them, herself included, on Emma's behalf.

 

Regina didn’t understand why Emma had even come back here, why Emma cared about saving any of them from this new curse when she could have so easily just stayed in New York with Henry. Regina was fairly certain that that's what she would have done in Emma’s place. She would have chosen her own happiness over everyone else's because clearly no one else had ever cared about it. But Emma was a better person than everyone in this whole damn town, so of course she was here, willing to save them all again. Even if maybe they didn't deserve it.

 

They sat in silence for several long moments before Mary Margaret sighed, that same pained expression back on her face. “So it was bad?”

 

Regina said nothing. But nothing, she supposed, was an answer in itself. She wouldn’t give away more than that.

 

xxxxxx

 

Emma rushed out of the manor and hopped into the Bug, peeling out of the driveway and driving down Mifflin Street just a little faster than she probably ought to. Although it wasn't as if anyone was going to stop her. She was the Sheriff after all. Or well, maybe she wasn't anymore. She wasn't really sure. But even if she wasn't the Sheriff, no one else seemed to be either.

 

She turned right when she reached an intersection, driving away from the town centre. Reaching over, she cranked the volume on the radio, hoping that the thumping music might drown out her racing thoughts.

 

She probably shouldn't have run away. That would probably only make things more awkward in the long run. She’d probably just given Regina and her mother the wrong impression.

 

Her mother. She sighed.

 

Her mother who was probably right now listening to Regina tell her all about Emma’s crappy childhood. There wasn't much doubt in Emma’s mind what her worst nightmare was. And now that she knew, Mary Margaret would be insufferable. She would want to talk about Emma's _feelings_.

 

Emma sighed again.

 

Yes, she shouldn’t have run. She should have stayed and pretended that it wasn’t a big deal. That her worst nightmare wasn’t so nightmarish at all. It wouldn’t have even been that hard to pretend - she’d been doing that for more than two decades.

 

But she’d run because that was just what she did when she was overwhelmed. And, oh boy, was she overwhelmed.

 

She was still trying to sort out how she was going to tell Regina about their True Love’s Kiss - or whatever that had been earlier - and now, apparently, she also had to wrap her head around Regina probably knowing something that she had never spoken of with _anyone_. A portion of her past that would surely make Regina see nothing but a sad, broken, pathetic, defenseless child when she looked at Emma.

 

It was too much.

 

She drove in a daze and, in what seemed like no time at all, she was at the town line. She slammed the brakes, bringing the car to a stop and, with a sigh, she turned the car back around.

 

Maybe once upon a time she would have driven on but she couldn't do that now. And not just because Henry was back at Granny’s - she could easily go get him, pack their things and head for New York right now. He wouldn't complain. He'd probably be thrilled.

 

But she couldn't do that.

 

She was the Saviour. She _had_ to protect this town.

 

And even if there wasn’t that - there was Regina. Regina who had stood at the town line and said _my gift to you is good memories._ Regina who was Henry’s mother even if Henry couldn't remember her. Regina who had taken a curse intended for Emma. Regina who Emma had woken with a kiss, which maybe kind of made her Emma’s True Love, even if she apparently already had some weird Forest Boy soulmate and would never reciprocate Emma's feelings - so it was some kind of weird one-sided True Love thing.

 

No matter how she tried to justify it, the truth was simple enough - Emma just couldn't leave Regina.

 

xxxxxx

 

“Hey Mom, look it's the mayor,” Henry said, straightening in his seat in one of the diner booths, smiling and waving animatedly.

 

Emma swallowed thickly, looking over her shoulder to where Henry was waving.

 

Regina was eyeing Henry uncertainly, as if unsure what to do but after a moment of hesitation she smiled and waved back and then moved over to their table.

 

“They let you out of the hospital?” Henry looked at her curiously.

 

Regina frowned, glancing between Emma and Henry.

 

Emma tried not to fidget in her seat, tried not to think about running from Regina’s home just hours ago, or how uncomfortable she now felt. “I told you Regina woke up,” she reminded Henry.

 

“I know,” Henry nodded. “I just didn't think they let people out of the hospital right after they woke up from a coma.” He shrugged, adding in a rather rushed manner, “You look good though. Healthy.”

 

Regina quirked an eyebrow at him but she smiled, slow and easy.

 

Henry grinned, sliding over in the booth to make room. “Why don't you sit? Have dinner with us. We haven't ordered yet.”

 

Regina smiled at him but she didn't accept his offer, her gaze instead sliding to look over at Emma. The question on her face was clear. She wanted Emma's permission to sit.

 

Emma bit her lip, her heart thumping loudly in her chest. She wanted to say no. She wasn't ready to face Regina right now. But she felt herself nodding yes.

 

xxxxxx

 

Dinner wasn’t quite as uncomfortable as Emma imagined it would be, though that wasn't saying very much.

 

Henry chatted endlessly and Regina absorbed every word. Her attention was almost entirely on him through the entirety of dinner, her eyes only sliding over to look at Emma on occasion.

 

When Regina _did_ look at her though, Emma could feel the question in her eyes, could feel the tension under the surface, and it took everything Emma had not to fidget in her seat, everything she had not to make an excuse and get up and leave. She got by by focusing on her meal, devouring the burger and fries she'd ordered.

 

She munched slowly on the last fry from her plate, looking up and across the table at Henry, who was saying something that was making Regina smile. It only occurred to Emma then that she hadn't really been paying attention to the conversation.

 

Henry must have sensed Emma's eyes on him because he paused, looking over at her and smiling before he turned his attention back to Regina. “We had career day at school a couple of months ago and everyone thought Mom was a badass.”

 

Regina’s eyebrow quirked at Henry’s use of badass and Emma rushed to correct him, not wanting Regina to think she'd been letting Henry get away with swearing for a year. “ _Henry_ ,” she said in her mom voice. She wasn't even sure where exactly she'd gotten the mom voice from - it seemed to have come with the memories Regina had given her.

 

Henry shrugged sheepishly, correcting himself, “Sorry. Kickbutt. Everyone thought my mom had the most kickbutt job. Even the other parents thought she was the coolest.” His eyes twinkled as he grinned, glancing between Emma and Regina.

 

 _Wait_ . Emma's brow crinkled ever so slightly. She knew that look. Henry was up to something. Emma suddenly wished she'd been paying better attention to the conversation. Had Henry just been talking about _her_ this whole time? _Why?_

 

Henry glanced between her and Regina again and it clicked. Henry was trying to play matchmaker. This was about him thinking that Emma was in love with Regina - which, okay, that True Love’s Kiss thing might have proved but she didn't want Regina to know that. She shook her head ever so slightly at him, hoping to discourage him. To Regina she said, “Henry is exaggerating. I don't think a single person, parent or child, thought my job was cool.”

 

“They totally did,” Henry insisted.

 

Regina looked amused. “I'd have to agree with Henry. I can only imagine that everyone admired your job.”

 

Was Regina making fun of her?Emma couldn't really tell.

 

Regina continued, “Bail bondsperson is a career that requires many admirable traits. Intelligence. Strength. Perseverance.”

 

Regina sounded oddly sincere, so maybe she _wasn't_ making fun of her, Emma decided. She couldn't stop the blush that crept its way up her neck at Regina complimenting her. She ran a hand through her hair and tried to cover the reaction by scoffing, “I think people would find the job less bada-” she started but corrected before Regina could quirk an eyebrow at her, “errrr...kickbutt if they saw how often I came home to a bag of frozen peas.”

 

xxxxxx

 

Henry finished his meal quickly after that and then said he had to go because he'd arranged a call with one of his friends from New York.

 

Emma eyed him suspiciously as Regina stood to let him out of the booth but she couldn't really stop him from going. The way his eyes danced happily as he grinned and half waved before heading for their room told Emma that her earlier suspicions were right. He definitely thought he was playing matchmaker.

 

If Regina knew what he was up to though, her face didn't show it as she slid back into the booth. “It's good to see that he's still quite terrible at lying,” she said as she resettled in the seat.

 

Okay, so maybe Regina _did_ know. Emma laughed somewhat uncomfortably, “Yeah.”

 

“I trust that whatever he's up to isn't dangerous?” Regina asked.

 

Okay, so, on second thought, maybe she _didn't_ know?

 

Emma nodded. “Nah, nothing dangerous. Don't worry. He probably just wanted more video game time and knew I'd say no.” _That was a plausible reason for his leaving, right?_ Because if Regina knew what Henry was up to... well, that would only lead to an uncomfortable conversation. Or maybe a number of uncomfortable conversations, none of which Emma felt ready for, and if she was honest with herself, was quite desperate to avoid.

 

Regina smiled and picked up her fork. They lapsed into awkward silence as Regina picked at her salad, which she'd only half finished while Henry was still at the table, much too focused on engaging with her son.

 

Emma drummed her fingers against the tabletop, unable to keep herself from fidgeting as Regina watched her from across the table with serious eyes. She could tell that Regina wanted to say something.

 

Sure enough, Regina set her fork down. “Emma, I…” she started and then seemed to hesitate.

 

“Look,” Emma interrupted, not sure she wanted to hear what Regina was going to say but, more so than that, wanting to stop the uncomfortable feeling pressing on her chest. “I'm sorry.”

 

Regina frowned, repeating in confusion, “You're sorry?”

 

“About my worst nightmare,” Emma said, looking down at the table, not wanting to see the pity she was sure she would find in Regina’s eyes. “I’m sorry that you had to see it. Or live it. Or whatever that curse did.”

 

“Emma…” Regina said and she sounded almost pained. “You don't need to…” she stopped and restarted with a soft sigh, “You're not the one who needs to apologize.”

 

Emma looked up at that, confused, her eyes searching Regina’s. Regina looked a little sad and maybe a little angry. What surprised Emma the most though was that there didn't seem to be any pity in Regina’s expression. It made her wonder if she was wrong about what her worst nightmare had been in that nightmare curse. She wanted this conversation to end but she needed to know now. Needed to know for sure what exactly it was that Regina knew. Her heart thumped loudly in her chest, beating much too quickly. “The nightmare...it was the Hendersons, yeah?” The question was nothing more than a whisper.

 

Emotion flashed across Regina’s face, a blur of things that Emma didn’t quite understand  - more anger, more sorrow, maybe sympathy, maybe understanding, but, surprisingly, still no pity, not visibly anyway. “Yes,” Regina finally said, that one word spoken so quietly that Emma had to strain to hear it.

 

Emma swallowed thickly, her head bobbing once. She'd known that's what it would be and yet her stomach still twisted uncomfortably at the knowledge and she felt her whole body tense.

 

“Just so you know, I didn't tell your mother,” Regina said carefully when a minute past without Emma saying anything.

 

Some of Emma's tension eased at that, relief flooding her. Regina seemed capable of masking her pity at the poor defenseless broken child Emma had been but Emma felt certain her mother would not be capable of the same restraint. Her heart continued to thump loudly in her chest as she stared at Regina. She wondered what specifically it was that Regina had seen in the nightmare curse. She wondered what exactly it was Regina was thinking as she looked at her now. Was she picturing Emma as a defenseless child? Was that how she would see Emma from now on? As poor, poor Emma with the sad, sad childhood. Emma nearly shuddered at that thought. That wasn't how she wanted Regina to see her. That wasn't how she wanted _anyone_ to see her - but especially not Regina.

 

When silence dragged on for another minute, Regina was once again the one to break it. “Emma, I…” Regina started the same way she had earlier.

 

Just like earlier, Emma interrupted her, an almost panicked, “I have to go,” tumbling out of her mouth, suddenly so very certain that she didn't want to hear whatever it was Regina was going to say. She couldn't handle hearing Regina talk about the Hendersons. Couldn't handle any conversation about the Hendersons at all. She stood, nearly tripping as she exited the booth.

 

Regina opened her mouth but she closed it without saying a word. She didn't try to stop Emma as she hurried away.

 

xxxxxx

 

Regina slept fitfully, her dreams plagued by haunted green eyes - sometimes belonging to a child Emma, sometimes belonging to an adult Emma, and sometimes belonging to no one, just those eyes all by themselves flashing across a dark backdrop.

 

She finally gave up attempting to fall back asleep in the early hours of morning. She slipped out of bed, pulled on her robe, and sat on the back porch to watch the sun creep up higher and higher into the sky. She couldn’t stop thinking about Emma. About a child curled into a ball, making herself small. About an adult sitting across from her at a diner table, fidgeting uncomfortably.

 

She wished she hadn’t admitted that the nightmare she’d been trapped in had been Emma’s. She never should have let Snow White rile her into revealing something she surely should have kept to herself. And the irony of that didn't escape her: there was no one to blame but herself here.

 

Yes, Emma's discomfort was her own fault. And oh, how she didn’t want Emma to be uncomfortable around her. It was easy to tell herself that that was because they needed to work together to defeat Zelena, even if that lie wasn’t as easy to believe as the lies she told herself usually were.

 

She sighed, pushing herself up off of the porch and heading into the house to get ready for the day.

 

xxxxxx

 

Instead of making a pot of coffee at home, Regina decided to go to Granny’s. She told herself it was because she was too tired to make her own coffee but it was a rather thin lie and she wasn’t even sure why she was pretending. Why did it matter that the real reason was that she hoped to run into Emma? Why did it matter that Regina wanted more than anything to set Emma at ease? Emma being able to tolerate her presence was important for a long list of reasons that did not require justification even to herself.

 

She spotted Emma walking out of the building when she was half a block away from Granny’s.

 

“Emma, hi,” Regina called ahead, picking up her pace.

 

Emma froze. Looking up and over towards Regina, eyes filled with what looked to be panic. Her face went blank a moment and then she seemed to collect herself, half waving and calling loudly, “I’m just going for a jog. Catch you later?” Emma didn’t wait for a response, she just took off.

 

By the time Regina had closed the distance to Granny’s front entrance, Emma was long gone, disappeared around a corner and out of sight. Regina sighed as she pushed the door to Granny’s open and headed over to the counter.

 

Tinkerbell was seated at the counter and she brightened at the sight of Regina. “Regina, you’re awake!” she smiled, looking genuinely pleased.

 

Regina quirked an eyebrow. “I thought the news would have spread by now.”

 

“Well, yes.” Tinkerbell shrugged, smiling again. “But it’s still good to see with my own eyes.”

 

Regina couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at her lips at that and she pulled herself up onto the stool beside Tinkerbell. She wasn’t sure how they’d gone from Tinkerbell wanting to kill her to this strange-almost-friends thing between them but she had to admit that it was sort of nice. It was nice that there was someone in this town, other than Emma, that seemed to actually want her around.

 

Granny came over and Regina ordered a coffee to go. If Emma was going to avoid her, then she needed to get back to research. Figuring out what Zelena was up to was still of utmost importance.

 

“So,” Tinkerbell grinned after Regina had finished ordering her coffee, “Emma sorted it out then, did she?”

 

Regina’s brow furrowed at that. “Sorted what out?”

 

“How to wake you,” Tinkerbell said brightly.

 

Regina’s brow furrowed further but before she could explain to Tinkerbell that Emma didn’t know how Regina had been woken from the curse, Tinkerbell was continuing.

 

“I have to be honest, I was sure Robin Hood would do it."

 

“Do what?” Regina asked, still wholly confused. What did Robin Hood have to do with anything? Other than being involved in a failed attempt to protect her heart from Zelena?

 

“Provide True Love’s Kiss and wake you from the curse, of course,” Tinkerbell said as if that should be obvious.

 

Regina’s eyebrows arched towards her hairline. “Explain,” she demanded.

 

Tinkerbell’s eyes twinkled and she looked almost like she was going to laugh but the way Regina’s eyes narrowed seemed to stop her. “I told Emma about Robin being your soulmate,” she started.

 

“You did _what_?” Regina hissed. She wasn’t sure why but her stomach clenched unhappily at the knowledge that Emma knew about Robin Hood and the fairy dust. It shouldn’t matter that Emma knew that a lifetime ago Robin had been revealed to possibly be her soulmate and, yet, it undeniable bothered her.

 

Tinkerbell looked like she wanted to laugh again but instead she just rolled her eyes. “Of course I did. I thought he would be able to wake you from the curse.”

 

Regina’s lips pursed but she said nothing.

 

“Emma brought him to the hospital but it didn’t work,” Tinkerbell told her.

 

Regina was pretty sure that she wasn’t supposed to feel relief at that news and, yet, relief was exactly the emotion filling her chest. “Well then,” she said, “your fairy dust must have been wrong.”

 

“Fairy dust is never wrong,” Tinkerbell shook her head, “unless…”

 

“Unless _what_?” Regina quirked an eyebrow.

 

Tinkerbell just shrugged mysteriously, her eyes twinkling and she changed the subject, asking in an oddly amused tone, “How _did_ Emma wake you?”

 

Regina frowned. “Emma _didn’t_. We don’t know how the curse was broken. She was checking on me when I woke up.”

 

Tinkerbell’s eyes widened in surprise a moment. “I see,” she finally said. And there was something so knowing in her expression and so very amused. “Well,” she added, hopping off the stool, “I should get going.”  

 

They were interrupted by Granny setting the cup of coffee down in front of Regina. “That will be $1.50.”

 

Regina startled at the interruption. She pulled out her wallet and handed over exact change. Turning, she prepared to tell Tinkerbell to wait, that she still had questions, but the fairy had already disappeared.

 

xxxxxx

 

Regina was in her office at Town Hall, flipping through a book, when there was a knock on the door. She looked up, unable to stop the flutter of hope in her chest. A fluttering that immediately died when she realized that the person standing in the doorway was not Emma.

 

“Hello,” Robin said, moving tentatively into the room, as if he wasn’t sure he should be here.

 

“Hello,” Regina returned the greeting, waiting expectantly for him to continue.

 

“I just wanted to apologize. About your heart.” Robin shifted from foot to foot - Regina didn’t find it endearing in the way she usually found Emma’s fidgeting. “The Dark One threatened Roland and I just-”

 

Regina held up her hand to stop him. “It’s alright. I would never want a child to be harmed. You did the right thing.”

 

Robin seemed to relax at that. “I really am sorry, though. I do want you to know that. I took the job of protecting your heart very seriously.”

 

Regina’s lips pursed, unsure how to respond.

 

Robin shuffled from foot to foot once more. “Would you like to get lunch?”

 

Regina barely resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose. She supposed she should have seen this coming. “Robin, I think perhaps you’ve gotten the wrong impression,” she said carefully.

 

Robin eyed her in confusion for several seconds before the flicker of understanding seemed to cross his face. “It’s Emma, isn’t it?”

 

Regina’s eyes narrowed in his direction. “It’s Emma, _what_?”

 

Robin blinked rapidly, looking suddenly unsure. “Umm...never mind. I’m just...going to go now.”

 

Regina considered demanding that he clarify but instead she just sighed. “Goodbye, Robin.”

 

xxxxxx

 

Running was supposed to clear her head but, after hours of trying to make it work, Emma finally admitted to herself that it wasn't really helping all that much and that it was time to pack it in.

 

Walking her way slowly back to Granny’s, she passed Town Hall and she couldn’t help but pause to look up at the window of Regina’s office.

 

The light was on, so Regina must be there. She wondered what would happen if she just went up? Sure she’d run away, literally, from Regina earlier but maybe she could try talking to her now? She didn’t have to mention the True Love thing. Or the nightmare curse thing. They had other things they could talk about, right? And Regina had looked sort of upset this morning when Emma had run away from her. Maybe she should apologize? Try and smooth things over? She couldn’t avoid Regina forever, could she?

 

She was still staring up at the window when Robin walked out the front door and headed away from the building, hands in his pockets, whistling.

 

She frowned at the sight of him, unable to stop the bubbling jealousy in her chest.

 

 _Of course_ Regina would still be interested in her stupid soulmate. Stupid soulmate and stupid one-sided True Love. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

 

Emma couldn’t believe she’d almost gone up there. She _could_ avoid Regina forever. She was great at running, after all.  

 

xxxxxx

 

Regina wasn’t the only person that Emma was trying to avoid but her attempt to avoid her mother was significantly less successful.

 

Mary Margaret cornered her the second she walked into the diner. “Emma!” she called. “Over here! I ordered you lunch.”

 

Emma wasn’t sure how her mother even knew she would be here around lunchtime but she begrudgingly approached her booth. “I...uhh...was just going to shower.”

 

“But I got you grilled cheese,” Mary Margaret insisted, motioning to the plate on the table in front of her.

 

Emma sighed, but she dropped into the seat across from Mary Margaret and picked up one of the grilled cheese halves and took a large bite. Maybe if she kept her mouth full, Mary Margaret would get the hint and not talk to her. Although, she knew that that was just wishful thinking.   

 

Mary Margaret watched her with serious eyes for a long time before she asked the question she’d clearly come here to ask, “What do you think Regina saw in the nightmare world?”

 

“Oh, uhhmm….” Emma swallowed thickly. She considered whether her mother would believe that she didn’t know, didn’t even have a guess. _Probably not_ , she decided. She could say that she wasn’t going to tell her - but when Mary Margaret wanted something she was relentless and Emma wasn’t sure she wanted to dodge questions about this for the rest of time. So, instead, she wondered which lie her mother would be most likely to believe. “Probably Neal leaving me,” she finally decided. “And jail.”

 

Mary Margaret looked sort of surprised, almost confused. “The way Regina reacted, I thought it might be...something worse.” Her eyes widened as she realized what she’d said and rushed to add, “Not that Neal leaving you wasn’t bad. That was awful. Of course it was awful. I'm sotry,  I didn't mean-"

 

"It's fine," Emma cut her off, knowing that her mother would probably apologize all day if she didn't stop her. She ran a hand through her hair and shrugged her shoulders, adding, “I just can’t think of anything else it might be," in what she she hoped was believable indifference. 

 

Mary Margaret studied Emma carefully, like she was trying to read her mind, but then, much to Emma’s relief, she nodded, “I'm sure you're right. If you think it was Neal, then that must be what it was.”

 

Sometimes her mother’s naivety was a real blessing.

 

Emma went back to eating the grilled cheese, devouring the first half quickly.

 

“So. What do you think woke Regina from the nightmare curse?”  

 

Mary Margaret’s tone suggested that she was just trying to be conversational but _seriously?_ As if this conversation couldn’t get any more uncomfortable. Emma swallowed thickly. “I ummm...I don’t have a clue?”

 

“Maybe she has a secret True Love. Like a secret admirer,” Mary Margaret postulated. “Someone who snuck in and True Love’s Kissed her awake and then snuck out before you got there.”

 

That was alarmingly close to the truth and Emma ran a hand through her hair, hoping that she didn’t look too suspicious. “That...umm...seems a little far-fetched, no?”

 

Mary Margaret sighed. “Probably. But wouldn’t it be romantic?”

 

Emma just scrunched up her nose. There was nothing _romantic_ about one-sided True Love. She didn’t say that, of course. Instead she picked up the second half of her grilled cheese and focused on eating.

 

xxxxxx

 

A few nights later, Regina woke with a start, not for the first time that week. Her eyes blinked open and she squinted into the darkness of her room, her non-heart hammering painfully fast against her rib cage.

 

She tried to close her eyes, to will herself back to sleep, but every time she shut her eyes she saw a flash of terrified green eyes.

 

Eventually she gave up trying, pushing herself up and out of the bed. Maybe some fresh air would help clear her head, she decided. She slipped on some yoga pants and a loose fitting sweater and headed out of the house.

 

It was late, well after midnight, and she was surprised when she spotted someone in the park a few blocks from her house. Not _someone_ she realized as she got closer, _Emma_.

 

Emma was sitting on one of the swings. Feet firmly planted on the ground but rocking the swing back and forth, pushing it by bending her knees. She looked up as Regina approached, her eyes widening as she made a move to stand.

 

Regina barely resisted the urge to sigh. _Of course_ Emma’s reaction to seeing her would be to get up to leave. She held up a hand, as if to say _wait_ and, surprisingly, it worked, Emma staying seated in the swing. “Emma, hi,” she greeted softly, still surprised that Emma hadn’t gotten up.

 

“Hey,” was all Emma said back.

 

“What are you doing out here so late?” Regina asked as she moved a bit closer.

 

Emma twitched, looking uncomfortable, but she just shrugged, admitting, “Couldn't sleep.”

 

“Me either,” Regina said, lowering herself carefully into the swing beside Emma’s.

 

They sat in awkward silence for a few minutes and then Emma ran a hand through her hair. “I should...uhh...probably go. Henry’s asleep but I don't want to leave him long.”

 

Regina had noticed that Emma ran her hand through her hair when she was nervous, so she wasn't surprised by Emma's suggestion that she needed to leave. Especially since they were nearing the few minutes mark and that seemed to be about all of Regina’s presence that Emma could handle right now. It bothered Regina more than she wanted to admit. She'd thought that being patient with Emma would work but it had been days now and they were getting nowhere.

 

“Emma wait, please,” she said before Emma could push herself out of the swing.

 

Emma hesitated, eyeing her warily without saying a word, but Regina must have seemed desperate enough because she stayed seated.

 

“Why are you avoiding me?” Regina asked carefully.

 

“I'm not,” Emma denied, biting her lip and looking down.

 

“ _Emma_ ,” Regina quirked a disbelieving eyebrow at her. When that didn't garner a response, she sighed softly. “Look. I understand. Knowing someone else was witness to _my_ worst nightmare...that would...it would make me feel vulnerable. I certainly wouldn't be happy about it.”

 

Emma looked up from the place she was staring at on the ground, her expression completely unreadable as she stared over at Regina.

 

When Emma still didn’t speak, Regina continued, “I understand Emma, I do. But we’re supposed to be figuring out how to stop Zelena. You don’t want to talk about the nightmare curse? Fine. Can we at least talk about Zelena?”

 

Emma sighed, heavily, as if the weight of the world was resting on her shoulders. “Yeah, okay,” she agreed begrudgingly, digging at the sand under the swing with one of her feet.

 

Regina wasn't sure two o’clock in the morning was really the right time to begin discussing this but if Emma was willing to talk right now, Regina wasn't going to pass up the opportunity. Who knew when Emma might tolerate her presence for more than two minutes again?

 

“I still haven't been able to find anything to tell us what kind of spell Zelena is trying to cast,” she said.

 

“Belle hasn't found anything yet either,” Emma added. “She's still looking.”

 

Regina nodded once. “I’ve been thinking...maybe we already know the answer.”

 

Emma’s brow crinkled in confusion. “What do you mean?”

 

“We thought that maybe the reason for the curse was that Zelena needed something that could only be found in this world. But what if that's not it? Maybe we figured out how to stop her in the Enchanted Forest and she cursed us here so we would forget,” Regina explained her idea. It was something she'd been thinking about for a few days.

 

Emma's brow remained crinkled, although she seemed less confused now and more as if she was thinking. “Yeah...I guess. Maybe?” she finally decided. “But how does that help us?”

 

“If we broke the curse, then we would have our memories back and we would know whatever it was we might have learned in the Enchanted Forest,” Regina said.

 

“...Okay,” Emma said carefully. “But _how_.”

 

Regina considered that a moment. “Perhaps we can make use of whatever it was that woke me from the nightmare curse.”

 

“No,” Emma said much too quickly and much too sharply.

 

Regina’s lips pursed as she watched discomfort settle over Emma just when she'd thought they were getting somewhere. “Don't you think figuring out what woke me would be helpful?” she quirked an eyebrow at Emma.

 

Emma's eyes widened and she looked almost panicked now. “No. It won't help.”

 

“Why not?” Regina demanded. She was starting to get the impression that Emma knew exactly what it was that had woken her from the nightmare curse.

 

“It just won't, trust me.” Emma might have been more convincing if she wasn't practically shaking.

 

“ _Emma_ ,” Regina quirked an eyebrow. “What aren't you telling me?”

 

“Nothing!” Emma insisted too loudly and not at all convincingly as she pushed herself out of the swing and took a few steps away. “I have to go.”

 

“No,” Regina said firmly, like it was a command, like she had any authority here at all.

 

“Regina,” Emma sighed loudly but she stopped and turned around to face her, just standing there staring.

 

“Clearly you know how the curse was broken.” It wasn't a question. Regina was suddenly very certain of that.

 

“Yes,” Emma admitted as if it was actually painful to do so.

 

“I don't understand,” Regina shook her head. “If you know _how,_ then why won't you just tell me?”

 

“Because,” Emma said as if that would pass as an answer, the volume of her voice rising and panic flickering across her face again.

 

“Because _why_ ?” Regina demanded not willing to let this go, needing to know the answer.

 

Emma shook in place, the panic still there in her eyes, and for a second Regina thought she was actually just going to bolt. But she didn't run, she opened her mouth and practically shouted, “Because it was me!”

 

Regina frowned. “What do you mean?” she asked carefully.

 

Emma fidgeted in place, rocking back and forth on her heels. Her shoulders sagged and she stared at the ground. Her voice was nearly a whisper when she looked back up, her eyes finding Regina’s as she revealed, “I kissed you and you woke up.”

  
_What?_ Regina’s eyes widened in surprise and she could do nothing but stare as she tried to process what Emma was telling her. Tried to comprehend that Emma had woken her from a curse with a kiss. Emma had True Love’s Kissed her.


	3. Part III: My heart it all came pouring out

As Regina stared at her, Emma wished for the ground to open up and swallow her whole. This reaction was exactly why she hadn't wanted to tell Regina. Why she'd been avoiding Regina. She didn't want Regina to be angry with her. She didn't want Regina to say they couldn't be friends, or whatever it was they were. She didn't want to lose Regina just because of one stupid True Love’s Kiss.

 

When Regina finally did speak though, there was no anger in her voice. Her words were confused almost, and so quiet that Emma had to strain to hear them. “Why didn't you tell me before?”

 

Emma sighed, moving over and dropping herself back into the swing. She looked down at the ground, digging her foot into the sand, widening the hole she'd created earlier. “Because it's freaking embarrassing,” she grumbled.

 

“You're embarrassed?” Regina asked and Emma would almost swear she sounded hurt.

 

Emma’s head snapped up, looking over at Regina. “Of course I'm embarrassed. What's more embarrassing than one-sided True Love?”

 

Regina’s lips pursed and she watched Emma as if she were trying to read her mind. Eventually she shook her head, saying carefully, almost hesitantly, “There's no such thing as one-sided True Love, Emma.”

 

Emma frowned, her brow scrunching up. “There isn't?”

 

Regina stared again for a long moment, her expression frustratingly unreadable. “No,” she finally said.

 

Emma’s brow furrowed further as she tried to process that. Were she and Regina like _real_ True Love then? Was that possible? Her heart did a ridiculous hopeful flip at even the possibility and she absolutely hated it.

 

“But what about Forest Boy? Isn't he your _soulmate_?” she asked just a little too bitterly, needing to squash the fluttering of hope in her chest.

 

She didn't want false hope. Because how could Regina ever love her in the romantic way after being trapped in Emma's worst nightmare? How would Regina ever be able to look at her and see anything but a broken child? That couldn't ever be _real_ True Love, just pity. Emma was sure of it.

 

“Forest Boy?” Regina repeated, quirking an eyebrow at Emma, looking almost amused. She held the expression a moment but then she shook her head. “You shouldn’t call him that.”

 

Emma couldn't help the way her shoulders slumped at what she saw as confirmation that Regina liked Robin, despite having asked the question for just that reason.

 

When Emma made no move to speak, Regina added, “We aren't together, if that's what you're asking.”

 

Emma’s head tilted curiously.

 

“Nor am I interested in being together with him,” Regina clarified.

 

“You _aren't_?” Emma asked, genuinely surprised.

 

“No,” Regina confirmed.

 

“But you gave him your heart,” Emma insisted because she still didn't really believe it, even if her heart was doing the stupid hopeful fluttering thing again.

 

Regina’s lips pursed. “I gave him my heart because I had to put it somewhere I didn't think Zelena would look…” She shook her head, adding almost under her breath, “Not that that worked out.”

 

“I could have protected it better,” Emma grumbled.

 

Regina laughed at that and Emma couldn't help but grin, almost sheepishly, over at her.

 

They lapsed into silence, although it didn't feel as uncomfortable or awkward as the earlier silence had been. As if revealing this secret had lifted a lot of the tension between them.

 

Emma went back to digging at the sand under her feet, concentrating on that and not Regina as she asked hesitantly, “So...waking you up...that really was True Love?”

 

Regina’s response was immediate. “It would appear so.”

 

Emma looked up. “But…” she trailed off not really sure what she was going to say. But _how_ ? But _what does it mean_ ? But _do you love me in the same way I'm pretty sure I love you_?

 

Regina’s expression was unreadable again and when she spoke it was as if she was choosing her words carefully. “True Love doesn't have to mean romantically involved, Emma. You share True Love with Henry, remember. There are all kinds of True Love.”

 

Emma could feel her shoulders slumping again. Regina didn't think this was _romantic_ True Love. Because Regina didn't want it to be. Of course she didn’t. Just because Emma had all of these feelings for Regina, didn't mean Regina had any in return. Emma had already expected that. It was most of the reason why she hadn’t told Regina about the True Love’s Kiss when she first woke.

 

Emma rocked her swing, pushing it back and forth with bent knees. She leaned back in the swing and looked up at the sky, stars shimmering above them. If it wasn't romantic True Love, then what was it?

 

“Do you think it's because of Henry? Because we're his parents? Because we both love him? So we're kind of tied together or whatever?” she asked finally, straighten herself in the swing.

 

Regina didn't answer right away, her lips pursed and she watched Emma with serious eyes. “...Perhaps. That could explain it.”

 

“Yeah that's probably it,” Emma nodded, trying not to feel disappointed. She kicked at the pile of sand under the swing with the side of her foot, nudging it back into the hole she'd created, as they lapsed back into silence.

 

“Can I ask you something?” Emma questioned when the hole was filled and she was just tamping down the sand with her foot.

 

“Okay,” Regina said carefully, hesitantly almost.

 

Emma looked over at her, studying her carefully a moment before she asked the question she'd been wondering since Regina crumpled to the forest floor. “Why'd you do it?”

 

“Do what?” Regina tilted her head.

 

“Step in front of me. Take the curse,” Emma clarified.

 

Regina blinked slowly, her expression once again frustratingly unreadable. She was quiet for so long that Emma didn't think she was going to get an answer, but finally, she said, “Because Henry could not be without the only mother he remembers. And the town needs its Saviour.”

 

“Oh,” Emma said, because she couldn't think of anything better to say. She didn't know why that answer disappointed her. It was a good answer, one that made perfect sense. Of course Regina’s decision would be about Henry, about the town. And yet the disappointment was unmistakably there, simmering in the pit of her stomach. She suddenly felt exhausted. She covered her mouth to stifle a yawn.

 

Regina smiled gently at her. “You should probably head back to Granny’s, get some sleep.”

 

Emma shook her head. “But we haven't even talked about how to break the curse.”

 

“It can wait until tomorrow,” Regina insisted.

 

Emma opened her mouth to protest, but another yawn came out instead.

 

Regina quirked an eyebrow, no words necessary for her point to be made.

 

“Yeah, yeah, okay,” Emma grumbled, conceding.

 

Regina smiled, clearly amused. “Why don't we get together tomorrow. For lunch perhaps? We can discuss it then.”

 

Emma frowned. “I sort of promised Henry I would spend the day with him tomorrow. I've left him alone too much lately.”

 

Regina nodded in understanding. “Alright, some other time, then.”

 

Emma shrugged. ”Yeah, okay.”

 

xxxxxx

 

They left the playground together.

 

The manor wasn’t exactly on the way to Granny’s, not directly, but Emma followed Regina anyway. It wasn't that she thought Regina needed her to walk with her - Regina had magic and was perfectly capable of looking after herself - she just wasn’t ready to part. And she didn’t mind a longer walk.

 

They walked in silence for awhile, Emma with her hands in her pockets, matching her gait to Regina’s.

 

They were about halfway to the manor when Regina asked a careful question, like she'd been thinking about it this entire time. “Was the reason you were avoiding me that you didn't want me to find out about you waking me from the nightmare curse?”

 

Emma glanced over at Regina, considering that a moment. “Yeah, I guess,” she ended up shrugging because that was the easy answer even if it was only half the truth.

 

“Hmm,” was all Regina responded with, as if that really was a revelation.

 

They lapsed back into silence for several more minutes, Regina finally breaking it once more when they turned onto Mifflin Street. “I just assumed it was because I told you that the nightmare curse was _your_ worst nightmare.”

 

Emma bit her lip. Maybe if it wasn't two o’clock in the morning she might have answered differently. But there was something about the late hour, something about the glow of streetlights against a dark sky, about stars shimmering above them, about the echo of shoes against pavement filling what would otherwise be complete silence, that made vulnerability easier to stomach, and she found herself admitting, “It was that too. I...I don't really like knowing you saw _that_ . It makes me feel...a bit uneasy, I guess.” It was difficult to put words to exactly what it made her feel but _uneasy_ was close enough. She’d buried that foster home under layers and layers and layers, deep enough that she could usually pretend that it had never happened, pretend that it hadn't shaped so many things about herself. She didn't like someone else knowing about it, was uncomfortable with even the possibility that she might have to talk about it.

 

“ _Emma_ ,” Regina said softly and she stopped walking, a hand reaching out like she wanted to touch Emma but stopping short of actually connecting with her arm. The hand dropped back to her side and she waited for Emma to stop too, serious brown eyes searching green ones before she continued, “If you ever want to talk about it, I'm here. But I want you to know that I won't ever bring it up unprompted. And I certainly won't tell anyone else. I promise.”

 

 _“_ I don't think…” Emma swallowed thickly. She looked down at the ground. “I don’t talk about it.”

 

“That's okay,” Regina assured and when Emma looked up she found brown eyes filled with so much understanding, more than she could stand. “This can be the very last time we mention it.”

 

Emma swallowed again, looking back down at the ground, feeling sort of overwhelmed but also immensely grateful. Regina understood her better than anyone. She doubted anyone else would have made this promise. Doubted that anyone else would have understood without having to be told that she _needed_ this promise. “Thanks,” she said quietly.

 

Regina said nothing in response, just nodded her head once.

 

Emma was surprised to find that she suddenly felt lighter. Like a weight she hadn't realized was pressing on her shoulders had been lifted.

 

They resumed walking, silence falling between them once more. At the manor, Emma hesitated, her hands shoved in her pockets. “Hey...umm...did you maybe want to tag along tomorrow? With Henry, I mean. I think we’re just going to catch a movie or something. Nothing fancy.”

 

Regina looked surprised, her eyes widening, but slowly the surprise faded and her lips tugged upwards into a smile. “That would be great.”

 

xxxxxx

 

“Hey...so…” Emma said the next morning at breakfast, staring across the table at Henry. “How would you feel about Regina tagging along with us to the movies today?”

 

Henry looked up from his pancakes, his eyes practically dancing in amusement, so much so that Emma almost regretted asking.

 

“Did you already ask her?” he wondered.

 

“Maybe,” Emma said carefully, rubbing the back of her neck. “But...I can cancel, if you want.”

 

Henry laughed. “No, don't cancel.”

 

“ _Okay_ ,” Emma said just as carefully because Henry was still looking at her with eyes that were twinkling far too mischievously.

 

“Are you sure you don't want me to find other plans?” Henry asked.

 

“What?” Emma frowned, confused.

 

“You know,” Henry grinned. “So that you and the mayor can make it a _date_.”

 

Emma groaned. Well at least now she knew what the mischievous look was about. “I don't want to go on a date with Regina,” she told him.

 

“Sure you don't,” Henry snickered.

 

“I don't!” Emma insisted, probably just a little too loudly. She tossed a piece of bacon off of her plate in his direction.

 

“Mmhm.” Henry smirked, picking up the piece of bacon off the table and biting into it with a loud crunch. “ _Sure_ , Mom.”

 

Emma groaned. She was starting to worry that inviting Regina might have been a bad decision. She could only hope that Henry would keep his thoughts to himself in front of Regina. She didn't need Regina thinking she was sort of maybe pining for her. Not when they shared True Love but not _romantic_ True Love. It would just make things unbearably awkward - and there was already plenty enough that was awkward between them at the moment.

 

xxxxxx

 

Regina waited in the parking lot of the movie theater for Emma and Henry, wondering if agreeing to tag along on their mother-son day had been the right decision. The offer to spend time with her son had been impossible to decline. Though it pained her that he had no memories of her, she wanted nothing more than to be near him, to be in his life. She wondered though what had made Emma offer at all. She worried that Emma might have only offered because she thought she had to, or that she should, after everything.

 

 _Everything,_ of course, was mostly the fact that they were True Love - a concept that Regina could barely wrap her head around. Not that it didn't make a certain level of sense - standing at the town line she'd known it wasn't just Henry her heart was aching for - but she'd just assumed as a villain, reformed or not, she wouldn't be entitled to a True Love. And, yet, here she was with definitive proof that she had one after all. It didn't even matter that that True Love might be platonic, or, at the very least, Emma seemed to want it to be. Regina could live with that. For Emma, of course she could. Even if she was fairly certain that that there were more than platonic feelings on her part. She didn't particularly like admitting that to herself but it didn't make it any less true.

 

Her musings were interrupted by the yellow Bug pulling into the mostly empty parking lot and Emma and Henry climbing out of the car, walking towards her.

 

“Hey,” Emma said, her voice hesitant. She eyed Regina uncertainly, as if she wasn't sure how last night's confession would hold up in the light of day.

 

“Hello,” Regina returned the greeting, trying to smile in a way that would put Emma at ease. She wasn't quite sure she was successful.

 

Henry glanced between them curiously and he looked almost amused when he smiled at Regina. “It's great that you came.”

 

Regina wasn't sure what she'd done to make Henry think that her presence was _great_ , and something about the way Emma's eyes narrowed in his direction made her think she was missing something, but she couldn't help the way her heart fluttered happily at Henry being pleased to see her. “Of course. I wouldn't have passed this up for anything,” she said, her eyes flickering from him to Emma, it occurring to her only after she’d said it that that was perhaps a bit too strong of a statement, no matter how sincere it was.

 

Henry didn't seemed bothered - he beamed at her, his eyes still shining with amusement.

 

Emma, surprisingly, didn't seem bothered either. If anything, her shoulders relaxed, and she seemed more comfortable. “Should we go in?” she asked after a beat, rocking on the balls of her feet.

 

“Yes, let's,” Regina agreed.

 

xxxxxx

 

“Sorry kid,” Emma apologized when it became clear that the movie theater was not playing the action movie Henry wanted to see - the one his friends in New York had seen last week. In fact, it wasn’t playing _anything_ that had been produced in the last decade.

 

“What about the Wizard of Oz?” Henry asked, studying the list of movies the theater was playing - an extremely limited selection.

 

“No!” Emma and Regina said in unison and they looked at each other and laughed.

 

“What’s so funny about the Wizard of Oz?” Henry looked curiously between them.

 

“Nothing is funny, dear. It just seems that your mother and I both agree that it’s a dreadful movie,” Regina provided an explanation.

 

Emma bit the inside of her cheek to hold back another wave of laughter.

 

Henry looked skeptical, like he knew he was missing something, but he shrugged, glancing back up at the list of movies before suggesting, “What about Jurassic Park, then?”

 

“Sounds good to me, kid,” Emma smiled easily, glancing over at Regina, unable to resist teasing, “I mean, as long as that won’t be too scary for you, Regina.”

 

“As if a few dinosaurs would scare me,” Regina scoffed in pretend-offense at that suggestion.

 

Emma grinned at her. “Dinosaurs it is, then.” She nudged Henry’s side. “Go pick out some candy, kid.”

 

Henry nodded eagerly, moving over towards the rack of candy.

 

Emma leaned closer to Regina, dropping her voice so that Henry wouldn’t hear, “We don’t have to worry about dinosaurs showing up in Storybrooke next, do we?” It felt like a legitimate concern given that the only other two movies playing at this theater were the Wizard of Oz and the Disney animated version of Snow White.

 

Regina laughed. “No, I don’t think so.”

 

“Thank god.” Emma laughed too, moving over towards the concession stand so that she could order popcorn and soda.

 

xxxxxx

 

Emma fell asleep somewhere near the middle of the movie. Regina only knew this because Emma’s head lolled to the side, bumping against her shoulder, and drawing her attention.

 

It looked like an uncomfortable position, and Regina debated nudging her awake. Instead, she reached over and grabbed her coat from beside her, balling it up and sliding it as carefully as possible between Emma’s head and her shoulder to act as a pillow of sorts. Emma shuffled a bit in her seat at the action, grumbling something unintelligible, making Regina think she was going to wake up, but after a moment she resettled, her eyes remaining closed.

 

xxxxxx

 

Emma was still sleeping when the credits rolled and the theater lights came back on.

 

Henry eyed Regina over the top of Emma’s head. “She’s asleep?”

 

Regina nodded slowly, careful not to jostle her shoulder in doing so.

 

Henry’s head tilted thoughtfully, silent a moment. “I don’t think she’s been sleeping very much at night,” he said quietly.

 

Regina’s lips pursed. That wasn’t especially surprising given that she’d come across Emma wide awake in the middle of the night less than twelve hours ago. Although, she’d hoped that that might have been a one time occurrence. “Is that so?” she said, an invitation for him to continue if he wanted to.

 

Henry nodded. “I thought it was just because she was worried about you. When you were in the hospital, I mean. But...you’re not in the hospital anymore.” He looked uncertain, or perhaps worried.

 

Emma had been worried about her? She supposed that wasn’t exactly surprising, especially not now that she knew about the True Love’s Kiss, and, yet, she couldn’t help the surge of emotion that she felt at Henry’s words.

 

“I think,” Regina said carefully, “that your mom has a lot on her mind lately.”

 

Henry’s face scrunched up. “You mean whoever killed my dad? And hurt you?”

 

Regina considered her answer carefully. She didn’t want to overstep. Henry was her son but she was painfully aware that right now he also wasn’t. “Yes,” she finally decided was an acceptable answer.

 

“She won’t tell me anything,” Henry sighed, a flash of something very close to anger darkening his features.

 

“ _Henry_ ,” Regina said gently, “Your mom doesn’t want you to worry. I know sometimes maybe you feel like you’re close to grown, but you’re still a boy. It’s her job to protect you from these kinds of things. You have to let her. And trust that she’ll tell you what you need to know when it’s time.”

 

Henry sighed again, drawing his eyes away from Regina and towards still sleeping Emma, his expression pensive. Henry looked back up at Regina. “Are you scared?”

 

“Of what?” Regina asked softly.

 

“That whoever hurt you...that they’ll do what they did to my dad,” Henry clarified. The previous flash of anger was gone. Now he looked nervous, maybe even scared.

 

“No,” Regina said immediately, wanting nothing more than to reassure him, even if that was a half-lie. “Your mom isn’t going to let anything happen to me...or to you, Henry.” Emma would defend them with everything she had - of that Regina did feel certain.

 

Henry’s expression was still serious. “But who’s going to keep _her_ safe?”

 

“I will,” Regina said without thinking twice - it was firm and filled with certainty. Emma hadn’t had anyone to protect her when she’d needed protection desperately but Regina wasn’t going to let that be the case ever again. Even if she still had no clue how to defeat her sister.

 

Henry didn’t say anything to that but he gave Regina a small smile and he seemed more relaxed, less afraid.

 

After a beat, Regina broke the silence. “Should we wake her?”    

  

“Yeah, probably,” Henry agreed.

 

Even though Regina had suggested it, she was hesitant to actually follow through. Instead, she just watched Emma’s chest rise and fall in the kind of even breathing that generally meant deep sleep.

 

Henry was the one to reach over and shake Emma’s shoulder. “Mom.”

 

Emma groaned, shifting in her seat and pushing her head further into Regina’s shoulder.

 

“ _Mom,_ wake up!” Henry said louder, shaking her shoulder again.

 

Emma jerked in the seat this time, her eyes blinking open, the expression on her face filled with sleepy confusion. It seemed to take her a minute to realize where she was and where her head was resting but when she did, she startled, quickly pulling herself into an upright position, wiping at a small line of drool with the back of her hand. “I...uhh…I…” she stammered as she glanced between Henry and Regina.

 

“You fell asleep,” Henry supplied, as if that wasn’t obvious.

 

“Sorry,” Emma mumbled, biting her lip and running a hand through her hair.

 

“Don’t be,” Regina smiled softly at her. She picked up the jacket that had tumbled to the ground when Emma straightened, draping it over her knees, smoothing the fabric out. “You must have been tired.”

 

“Yeah,” Emma admitted, still seeming on edge as her fingers raked nervously through her hair again. Her eyes lingered on Regina’s a long moment, like maybe there was something she wanted to say, but she never did. Instead, she turned her head slowly to look over at Henry. “Did you like the movie, kid?”

 

“Yeah,” Henry grinned. “It was great.”

 

“Good,” Emma smiled at him. She ran her hand through her hair once more, although it seemed less nervous this time and more just about smoothing it out. “And what about you, Regina? What did you think?”

 

“The premise was a little too far-fetched for my liking,” Regina said, managing a straight face.

 

Emma barked out a sharp laugh and Regina’s lips twitched into an amused smirk as they shared a knowing look.

 

Henry eyed them with confusion, like he knew he was missing some joke. Eventually giving up on sorting it out, he shrugged his shoulders. “But it would be so cool if there really was an island with dinosaurs on it.”

 

Emma wrinkled her nose. “I don’t know, kid. Sounds too dangerous. I’d be careful what you wish for.”

 

Henry just rolled his eyes at her.

 

xxxxxx

 

They lingered in the parking lot, Regina not quite ready to say goodbye to Emma or Henry, and, it seemed, neither Emma or Henry were anxious to leave either - at least, neither were attempting to move over towards the Bug.

 

“Would you like to come for dinner at my house?” Regina finally suggested, a flurry of nerves settling in the pit of her stomach as soon as the question left her mouth. Maybe she shouldn’t be pushing for anything right now.

 

“Can we?” Henry asked, looking eagerly over at Emma.

 

Emma smiled at Henry. She was still smiling when she looked over at Regina. “Are you sure we wouldn’t be imposing?” The question was almost tentative.

 

“Of course you wouldn’t be.” Regina returned the smile.

 

“Okay,” Emma bobbed her head. “Dinner that isn’t diner food sounds great. I can’t believe I’m saying this...but I’m starting to get sick of french fries.”

 

Regina laughed. “That _is_ perhaps the most surprising thing I’ve ever heard you say.”

 

Emma narrowed her eyes playfully. “Oh shut up. It is not.”

 

“I don’t know, Ma...I agree.” Henry laughed from beside Emma.

 

“What is this? Two against one?” Emma brought her hand to her chest, as if offended. “You’re supposed to be on my side, kid.” She reached over and shoved his arm gently.

 

“Sorry, Mom. I just call them how I see them,” Henry grinned mischievously.

 

Emma shook her head, scoffing, “Unbelievable.”  

 

xxxxxx

 

“Wow,” Henry said, as Emma pulled the Bug into the manor driveway. “ _This_ is where Regina lives?”

 

“Yep,” Emma confirmed, putting the car into park. “Pretty nice, huh?”

 

“Pretty nice is kind of an understatement,” Henry grinned as they climbed out of the car and headed up the front porch to where Regina was waiting at the door.

 

“Long time no see,” Emma joked as Regina led them inside.

 

Regina rolled her eyes but she looked amused. She turned her attention to Henry. “I’ve got an Xbox if you would like to play that while I get dinner started, Henry.”

 

“Really?” Henry brightened, looking eager.

 

“Yes,” Regina confirmed with a smile.

 

“Awesome,” Henry grinned.

 

Regina led the way into the the living room, opening cabinets and showing Henry where the Xbox was. “You can play whatever you’d like.”

 

“Cool.” Henry looked through the extensive selection of games and picked one. “Are you going to play too?” he asked Regina, as he got the console and the game set up and pulled out the controllers.

 

“No, that’s all right. You and your mother go ahead, I’ll get dinner started.”

 

“You don’t want to play a game first?” Henry asked curiously.

 

Emma watched the interaction carefully, her eyes lingering on Regina, waiting for her answer.

 

Regina seemed unsure of what to say. After a moment, she answered with, “I'm afraid I don't know how to play, Henry.”

 

Henry's brow crinkled. “Then why do you have an Xbox?”

 

Emma watched the tension creep up Regina’s shoulders, saw her jaw tighten, and her expression go blank.

 

Emma was debating jumping in when Regina said, “For guests like you.” She offered Henry a tight smile that didn't reach her eyes.

 

“Oh.” Henry’s brow crinkled uncertainly, as if he could tell that he’d somehow upset Regina but couldn’t quite sort out how.

 

“Sorry.” Regina swallowed thickly. “I really should go get dinner started.” She spun on her heels before anything else could be said and left the room.

 

Henry watched her go with a somewhat confused expression on his face. When she was out of sight, he shrugged, as if shrugging off the somewhat peculiar behaviour, and turned his attention to Emma, holding out one of the controllers. “You wanna play, Mom?”

 

Emma eyed the controller but she shook her head. “Actually, I'm just going to see if Regina needs help. You play.” She was worried about Regina and wanted to check on her.

 

Henry shrugged, turning the Xbox on, his attention completely on the television as Emma slipped out of the room after Regina.

 

xxxxxx

 

“Regina?” Emma called softly as she stepped into the kitchen.

 

Regina was leaning against the island, both hands resting on the countertop, and she didn't turn around when Emma entered the room.

 

“Are you okay?” she tried, as she moved closer.

 

“I'm fine,” Regina insisted but her voice was much too tight and she still wasn't looking at Emma.

 

Emma was standing next to Regina now and she could see the tears shimmering in brown eyes. “Hey,” she said softly, a hand reaching out to rest on Regina’s shoulder.

 

Regina tensed but she didn't pull away. She didn't say anything either.

 

“I know it's hard,” Emma said carefully.

 

“Do you?” Regina answered and it wasn't exactly angry but it wasn't exactly friendly either.

 

Emma chose to ignore the sharpness in Regina’s tone, instead insisting, “He's going to remember you.” She squeezed Regina’s shoulder gently.

 

Regina’s head turned slowly, brown eyes, still shimmering with unshed tears, searching Emma's. She looked more vulnerable than Emma had ever seen her. “How do you know?” she asked and the sharpness was gone - now she just sounded like she desperately wanted to believe what Emma was saying.

 

“Because I refuse to accept any other outcome,” Emma said firmly. “And, in case you hadn't noticed, I'm stubborn.”

 

Regina barked out a sharp laugh, shaking her head at Emma.

 

Emma smiled gently and then they were just staring at each other, as if some kind of spell had overcome them, and neither wanted to look away.

 

Regina was the one to break the spell, her eyes dipping from Emma's eyes to her lips momentarily. She cleared her throat and pulled away, her shoulder slipping out from under Emma's fingers. “I really should start dinner,” she said, moving over to the fridge, clearly needing to pretend that whatever had just happened between them hadn't.

 

Emma swallowed thickly, running a hand through her hair. “Let me help,” she finally said, trying to ease the palpable tension in the room.

 

Slowly Regina looked over from where she was still standing at the fridge, eyeing Emma sort of skeptically with a quirked eyebrow. “Are you capable of peeling potatoes?”

 

“Of course,” Emma scoffed, “I'm the master of potato peeling.”

 

“I’ll believe that when I see it,” Regina shook her head but she was smiling, clearly amused, and whatever tension was remaining in the room lifted.

 

“Oh you're going to see it,” Emma joked with a grin, relaxing as she rolled up her sleeves.

               

xxxxxx

 

They had roast chicken and mashed potatoes with gravy and peas for dinner. It was the kind of family dinner that Emma had dreamed about as a child but had rarely gotten. Very few of the places she'd stayed had cared about family dinner and the ones that did had never kept her long - she was too angry, too distrustful, too quiet, too _something_ for families that wanted to see themselves as perfect.

 

“That was _so_ good.” Henry grinned, slumping in his seat, the clear sign that he was stuffed.

 

Regina beamed, looking thrilled to have pleased him.

 

“Amazing,” Emma agreed as she sopped up the last bit of gravy on her plate with a piece of bread.

 

“I'm glad you enjoyed it,” Regina said. “It…” she hesitated, swallowing. “It was nice to cook for someone other than myself.”

 

Emma could see the hint of sadness that came with the statement but, unlike the earlier moment with the video game system, Regina seemed to manage to tamp the sadness down this time.

 

Regina cleared her throat. “I'm afraid the only thing I have for dessert is ice cream.”

 

Emma groaned. “I'm so full, I'm going to explode.”

 

Henry laughed. “Mom passing up ice cream...that's how you know the meal was _really_ good.”

 

Regina smiled, looking pleased. “And what about you, Henry?”

 

“I never say no to ice cream, no matter how full I am.” Henry grinned.

 

Emma shook her head at him. “Maybe you should digest a bit first, yeah?”

 

Henry looked unimpressed. “But-”

 

“We can help clean up and then we can talk about ice cream,” Emma cut him off. She knew that if he ate any more now, he would likely just make himself sick.

 

“You don't need to help clean up,” Regina jumped in. “I can take care of it.”

 

“Regina, come on,” Emma said. “We’re not going to leave you with a huge mess. Don't be ridiculous.”

 

Regina looked like she wanted to protest but Emma must have looked determined enough because she conceded with a sigh, “If you insist.”

 

“I do,” Emma nodded.

 

xxxxxx

 

With three sets of hands, cleanup went quickly. It was strange, really, how natural it felt, the three of them working together in the kitchen - Emma washing, Henry drying, and Regina putting the dishes away. Regina tried not to dwell on that, tried to remind herself that it was never going to be the _three_ of them, no matter how right this felt. She might get Henry back but she and Emma would never be more than whatever it was that they were right now - _non-romantic_ True Love, she reminded herself.

 

With the last of the dishes put away, Regina kept waiting for Emma to say that she and Henry had to go. But, instead, they were now back in the dining room with three bowls of ice cream and a board game spread out.

 

Regina watched with fondness as Emma groaned in protest at the move Henry had just made on the game board, blocking her. She couldn't stop the thought that entered her head - this was the best day she'd had in a very long time.

 

“What are you smiling at?” Emma eyed her curiously from across the table.

 

Regina’s smile turned into a smirk, covering her thoughts by teasing, “I was just thinking about how happy I'm going to be when I win,” which led to a rousing round of trash talk that ended with all of them laughing.

 

“You know,” Henry said when their laughter had died back down, “We’ve laughed more today than we laughed all the days you were in the hospital combined.” His eyes, bright and almost mischievous, focused on Regina. “Actually. Maybe more than we _ever_ laugh in one day.”

 

Regina smiled at Henry and she couldn’t help but look from him over to Emma.

 

Emma’s eyes were narrowed in Henry’s direction but, as if sensing Regina watching her, her cheeks were suddenly tinged red and she ducked her head to avoid Regina’s eyes.

 

It was a peculiar reaction, one that Regina didn’t quite understand. “To be honest, Henry,” Regina said carefully after a moment, drawing her eyes away from Emma to look back over at him, “I’m positive that I’ve laughed more today than I’ve laughed all year.” She didn’t need to remember the last year to know that was true.

 

Henry beamed at her. “It was a fun day.” His head turned to look over at Emma. “Right, Mom?”

 

“Yeah,” Emma agreed, eyes finally looking up from the table, “It was.” Her words were soft and they sounded so sincere.

 

Regina studied Emma a long moment, wishing she could read her mind. “Thank you for letting me spend the day with you today,” she finally said. “I know it was supposed to be a mother-son day.” The words, meant for both Henry and Emma, came out heavier than she’d intended, filled with an unexpected surge of emotion that had her swallowing thickly.

 

Emma’s eyes were still focused on Regina and they were filled with understanding, and something else, something that Regina would almost swear was longing before it was wiped away.

 

Emma smiled softly. “No thanks required.”

 

“We should do it again!” Henry piped up, perhaps a little too enthusiastically. “How about tomorrow?”

 

Emma laughed, reaching over and ruffling Henry’s hair until he squirmed away from her touch. “Maybe not tomorrow, kid,” she said. Her eyes slid over to Regina. “But we should. Do this again. I mean...only if you want to, Regina. Don’t think...you don’t have to-”

 

“I do,” Regina interrupted Emma’s rambling. “I do want to.”

 

“Oh. Okay.” Emma nodded once, swallowing thickly, her eyes fixed with Regina’s once more.

 

“Okay,” Regina repeated, that same surge of emotion welling up in her chest again against her will.     

 

xxxxxx

 

The next morning, Regina met Emma at the vault. It had been nice to pretend for one day that the threat of whatever Zelena had planned wasn't looming, but they couldn't really afford to continue to ignore what was coming.

 

“What are we doing exactly?” Emma asked, standing uncertainly near the entrance to the vault, hands in the back pockets of her jeans.

 

“Just gathering some books for research,” Regina explained. “Then we can go to my office. Unless you really want to spend the day down here.”

 

Emma's nose wrinkled. “Yeah, no thank you.” She looked around the room, like she still wasn't quite sure what she was supposed to do. Her phone rang and she slid it out of her pocket, bringing it up to her ear and answering with a, “Hello?”

 

Regina watched curiously and then with increasing alarm as Emma spoke to whomever was on the other end of the phone.

 

“You _what?”_ Emma was saying, her eyes suddenly wide and worried. “Is he okay? Where are you right now?” There was a pause and then she added, “We’ll be right there.”

 

“What's wrong?” Regina asked the second that Emma ended the call, her non-heart hammering loudly in her chest.

 

“David let Henry drive the truck and he crashed it,” Emma rushed out, looking panicked. “He said he's fine but they're at the hospital and…and…”

 

“Those idiots,” Regina hissed, not needing to hear anything else. She moved closer to Emma, reaching for her hand, linking their fingers together, and transporting them to the hospital in a cloud of purple smoke.

 

xxxxxx

 

Despite David saying that Henry was fine and that they’d only brought him to the hospital as a precaution, Emma couldn't stop the frantic panic expanding in her chest. She was relieved when Regina took charge, poofing them to the hospital.

 

The second they appeared in front of the entrance to the hospital, she was rushing forward, dragging Regina with her into the emergency room, searching for Henry and her parents with a kind of frantic determination. She found them in one of the emergency room bays. Henry was sitting on the edge of a stretcher, his legs swinging back and forth, laughing at something David was saying, and looking perfectly whole.

 

“Henry!” Emma called to him, stopping in front of the stretcher.

 

“Mom,” Henry said, having the good sense to look a little sheepish.

 

“Are you okay?” Emma breathed out, her eyes sweeping him up and down and up and down. There was a small bandage on his forehead, like the regular kind she stocked in their medicine cabinet in New York, but, other than that, she couldn’t see any visible injuries.

 

“I’m fine,” Henry insisted, immediately.

 

“Are you sure?” Emma asked, reaching forward and gently touching the bandage.

 

Henry didn’t wince but he did shrug away from her. “It’s barely even a cut, Mom. No stitches or anything. Stop freaking out.”

 

“I’m not freaking out,” Emma grumbled.

 

Henry rolled his eyes before his gaze dropped from her face downwards, staring at her hand - the hand that was still joined with Regina’s.

 

Emma hadn’t even really realized that she was still holding Regina’s hand but she dropped it rapidly then, taking a step away from Regina and trying to keep the blush from creeping into her cheeks as her parents and Henry stared curiously at her.

 

Mercifully, Regina provided a distraction before anyone could question why exactly Emma had been holding her hand.

 

“What were you thinking letting him drive a car?” Regina snapped angrily, her attention moving from Henry over to Mary Margaret and David, her eyes narrowing.

 

“We just…” David rubbed the back of his neck, looking sheepish. “We were just trying to give him a good day. You know, something a little more exciting? Because we aren’t boring.”

 

Emma nearly groaned at that. Was that seriously what this was about? Her parents were worried that Henry thought they were boring?

 

Regina was clearly not at all impressed with David’s answer. “I don’t care what kind of reckless things you want to do when you’re on your own but how dare you chose to endanger my-” Her eyes widened and she stopped mid-sentence, catching herself, swallowing thickly, and covering with, “Town. As mayor, I can’t have an unlicensed, underage driver out there on the streets. It’s dangerous.”

 

“Regina’s, right,” Emma supplied, eyeing Henry and her parents seriously in turn. “It _was_ dangerous. You could have been seriously hurt, kid.”

 

Henry glanced between Emma and Regina. “I’m sorry,” he said, looking appropriately apologetic.

 

Regina’s expression softened as she stared at Henry. “It’s alright, Henry. You’re not the one who should be apologizing.” Her expression hardened once more, her head turning back to Mary Margaret and David. “The people put in charge of your safety for today are the ones who should have known better.”  

 

“We’re sorry too,” Mary Margaret responded immediately, looking sincere enough.

 

Regina’s lips pursed a long moment as if debating whether or not further lecture was required. “I’m going to get the car, Emma. I’ll take you back to Granny’s,” she finally said instead of acknowledging Mary Margaret, spinning on her heels, and stalking out of the emergency room.      

 

xxxxxx

 

The next morning, while Henry watched television, Emma slipped out into the hallway to call Regina, knowing that she would want to know how Henry was doing.

 

Sure enough, the first words out of Regina’s mouth were, “How’s Henry?”

 

“He’s good. Not even a headache,” Emma assured.

 

Regina breathed an audible sigh of relief into the phone. “And how about you?” she asked after a beat.

 

“Me?” Emma’s brow crinkled.

 

“Did you sleep okay?” Regina asked softly, clarifying. She sounded like she really did care about the answer.

 

Emma sighed, “Not really. I kept getting up to check on Henry. I know, I know he didn’t have a concussion...but I was still kind of worried.”

 

“Understandably,” Regina said. “I knew your parents were inept but this was particularly idiotic even for them. Who lets a twelve-year-old drive a car?”

 

The question was obviously rhetorical and Emma didn’t bother answering it, she just hummed her agreement, thinking better of arguing with Regina.

 

There was a beat of silence across the phone before Regina asked, “Did you want to come by today? Do the research we were interrupted from completing yesterday?”

 

Emma rocked on the balls of her feet. “I kind of want to keep an eye Henry for now,” she said and then quickly added a, “sorry,” not completely sure why she felt the need to apologize.

 

“It’s okay, I would want to do the same,” Regina said and she really did sound like she understood.

 

“Thanks.” Emma let out a breath she hadn’t even realized she’d been holding.

 

“I-” There was a moment of hesitation that was almost palpable even through the phone and then Regina started again, “What about dinner? Tonight? We could go somewhere other than Granny’s and talk about breaking this curse and whatever it is Zelena is planning.”

 

Emma wasn’t sure why her heart rate picked up at the suggestion of dinner just the two of them. _Stop that,_ she hissed internally at herself. This was dinner with a purpose, nothing more.

 

“Emma?” Regina said uncertainly and Emma realized she was waiting for answer.  

 

“Dinner sounds great. I mean. A good idea. It sounds like a good idea. A really good one.” Emma shook her head at herself, barely resisting the urge to groan at how ridiculous she sounded.  

 

“Wonderful,” Regina said and Emma would swear that she could _hear_ her smirking in amusement. “I’ll pick you up at 6:30.”

 

xxxxxx

 

Emma checked her hair in the bathroom mirror, smoothing down her shirt as she stared at her reflection.

 

“Tell me again how this isn't a date,” Henry snickered loudly from the bedroom.

 

Emma stepped out of the bathroom, reached for a pillow off of the bed and chucked it at him, “It's _not_ a date.”

 

“Mmhm.” Henry laughed. “Whatever you say, Mom.”

 

Whatever response Emma would have given was interrupted by a knock on the door and Henry jumping off the bed and racing past her so that he could be the one to open it.

 

“Regina, hi.” Henry grinned a little too widely, holding the door open wider for her to come in.

 

“Hello Henry.” Regina smiled at him. “How are you feeling?”

 

“Good. All better.” He shrugged, his eyes dropping down to study the tin in Regina’s hands. “What do you have there?”

 

“Hey Regina,” Emma moved closer, smiling.

 

Regina nodded at Emma, returning the smile, and then she peeled back the lid of the tin she was holding to reveal double-chocolate chip cookies. “Baking helps clear my mind,” she offered, as if that explained anything. “I thought you might like some.” It wasn't clear who the _you_ she meant was as she looked between Emma and Henry.

 

“You brought a gift,” Henry smirked, his eyes dancing in amusement, his expression so very Regina.

 

Emma groaned and rushed out, “Thanks Regina,” taking the tin from her and shoving it at Henry, begging him silently not to say anything else. “Here. Eat some cookies, kid.”

 

Henry barely suppressed a snicker but he took the tin and headed over to the bed, hopping up onto it and pulling one of the cookies out of the tin, biting into one and getting cookie crumbs everywhere. “Thanks. Double-chocolate chip is my favourite,” he said, his mouth full of cookie.

 

Regina quirked an eyebrow at the display but, remembering that right now it wasn't her job to parent, the expression was quickly replaced with a warm smile. “You're very welcome, Henry.”

 

Emma moved over to the bed, kissing the side of Henry’s head. “Be good kid. And remember-”

 

Henry cut her off. “I know, I know. Stay here. If I need anything, call you. I got it.”

 

“Love you kid,” Emma kissed the side of his head again.

 

“Love you too, Mom,” Henry said mouth full of another bite of the cookie.

 

Emma shook her head as crumbs flew everywhere but she let him be, following Regina out into the hallway.

 

xxxxxx

 

“He's totally your kid.” Emma grinned as they walked down the hallway away from the room.

 

Regina looked over at her, smirking. “I’m not sure what you are talking about. Talking with his mouth is all _you_.”

 

Emma laughed, not even bothering to debate that. “I meant his facial expressions. Sometimes he’ll quirk an eyebrow or just get one of those looks on his face and all I can think of his how much he looks like you,” she clarified as they walked through Granny's and out the front door.

 

Regina smiled at that, somehow managing to seem pleased and sad all at once, but she didn't say anything about it. “I thought we could walk to the restaurant, if that's okay with you.”

 

“Yeah, sure,” Emma nodded, agreeing easily. It was a nice night and she liked walking.

 

They walked in silence for a few minutes. It was strange, Emma thought, how quickly they seemed to have reverted back to being mostly at ease with each other. She should never have held back the truth about the True Love’s Kiss. Even if there was still the matter of her loving, like _actually_ loving Regina and Regina only having platonic feelings for her in return, which lent itself to some awkwardness. _This_ was still much better than having to avoid Regina.

 

“It's weird,” Emma picked back up their previous conversation as they walked. “Because even in New York when I didn't remember you, looking back it's like I sort of still did? Those expressions that Henry has that are all you. Sometimes he'd make one of those and I would just...it was like déjà vu. I would get this sense that I was missing something but not understand what that something was…” she shrugged, like that wasn't a big deal, even if it sort of felt like it was.

 

Regina looked over at her curiously but she didn’t say anything for a long moment. “Is it difficult?” she finally asked. “Having two sets of memories?”

 

The question surprised Emma. She rubbed at the back of her neck, considering her answer. “Yes,” she said carefully, deciding honesty was probably best - she doubted Regina would believe her if she said it was easy anyway. “Sometimes I’ll think about something from Henry’s childhood and it takes me a minute to remember that it didn’t really happen. Not with _me_ anyway. And then... it’s strange to think about the life we could have had if I had just...” she swallowed, not finishing the thought. People shouldn’t get the answers to their what if questions. It made everything much too difficult.  

 

“I’m sorry,” Regina said softly and she sounded so very sincere.

 

Emma stopped walking.

 

Regina took a couple more steps before she realized that Emma wasn’t beside her anymore and she stopped, turning around and quirking a confused eyebrow at her.

 

“Don’t,” Emma said.

 

Regina frowned. “Don’t?”

 

“Apologize,” Emma said. “Don’t apologize.”

 

“Emma…” Regina started.

 

“No,” Emma stopped her. “What you did for me. Giving me those memories. Giving Henry and I a good life. No one has ever...I just...thank you. Whatever confusion I’m dealing with now. I wouldn’t trade it. I just wanted you to know that. I’m grateful. So grateful.” Her voice was thick with emotion and she was rambling and she knew it. She swallowed, running her hand through her hair.

 

Regina took the two steps required for her to be beside Emma again. She hesitated and then she reached out, tentatively, so very tentatively, and settled a hand on Emma’s forearm, squeezing gently. “You’re welcome,” she said, softly and just as sincerely as she'd apologized.

 

They stood like that, Regina’s hand on Emma's forearm, in the middle of the street until it became a little too awkward and Emma cleared her throat and pulled her arm away, breaking whatever spell it was that had fallen over them.

 

Without a word, they resumed walking.

 

They were almost at the restaurant when Regina asked, “Did the memories I gave you make you regret it?”

 

“Regret what?” Emma asked, confused.

 

“Giving up Henry,” Regina said so quietly, as if she was scared to hear the answer.

 

“No,” Emma said firmly, without hesitation. She’d had plenty of time to think about that answer. Had pondered that very question on many sleepless nights since she’d gotten her memories back. The thing was, the memories had given her one answer to _what if_ but it wasn’t a _real_ answer. They’d been happy in those memories because Regina had _made_ them happy. Real life would have been much more difficult. Emma knew that. Emma knew that, no matter how much it hurt, she’d made the right decision for Henry when she’d given him up.

 

“No?” Regina repeated, looking truly curious and almost disbelieving, as if that was not the answer she’d been expecting.

 

“Henry raised by me might not even be the same Henry at all,” Emma said seriously but then she smiled wryly, going for levity because this entire conversation had been much too serious overall, “Like. How would he have learned the art of the eyebrow quirk without you?”

 

Regina shook her head, laughing lightly.

 

“But seriously,” Emma said, “Henry is a great kid because of _you,_ Regina. I know that. And I regret nothing.”

 

Regina smiled fondly. “He is a great kid.”

 

“He is,” Emma nodded, smiling too.

 

“You’re wrong, though,” Regina said, her expression still filled with fondness. “He’s a great kid because of _us_ . He’s _ours_ …” her expression fell as she added quietly, “...even if he doesn’t remember me.”

 

“Hey,” Emma said gently, reaching out to rest a hand on Regina’s forearm the same way Regina had done to her earlier. She squeezed once, gently. “He’ll remember. We’re going to figure this out,” she said, the words reminiscent of those she'd used in Regina’s kitchen just days before.

 

Regina didn’t say anything but her expression told Emma how much she longed for that to be true.

 

Emma let go of Regina’s forearm, pointing up ahead and changing the topic. “What do you know, we’re here.”  

 

xxxxxx

 

Regina watched Emma twirl pasta onto her fork, doing a rather sloppy job of it. Such messy eating should be an annoyance, but instead, she couldn't help but think it was adorable - a reaction she tried very hard to tamp down.

 

“What are you looking at?” Emma eyed her quizzically. “Do I have sauce on my face?”

 

Regina just lifted her shoulders, shrugging instead of responding, as she reached for her wine glass.

 

“Regina, seriously. Do I have sauce on my face?” Emma dropped her fork and scooped her napkin off her lap, wiping at her face. “Better?”

 

Regina laughed lightly, setting her wine glass back down. “You didn't have sauce on your face.”

 

“Oh,” Emma said, looking completely confused but going back to eating her pasta.

 

Regina took a small bite of her own pasta, still watching Emma. She just couldn't help it. Even days later, she still couldn't believe what Emma had told her at the playground. Couldn’t believe that Emma had woken her from the nightmare curse with a kiss. That Emma was her True Love.

 

“Did they have restaurants in the Enchanted Forest?”

 

Emma's curious question interrupted Regina’s thoughts and she blinked rapidly, looking across the table at Emma. “No, actually, they didn't,” she answered once the question really sunk in.

 

“Well that seems like no fun,” Emma pulled a face, reaching for her wine glass and taking a sip of the red wine.

 

“We also didn't have indoor plumbing. Or electricity. The Enchanted Forest isn't all some people crack it up to be.” Regina wrinkled her nose.

 

Emma laughed, her eyes bright. “You know,” she said, “Maybe it wasn't Zelena who cast this curse. Maybe it was just some citizen who missed running water and light bulbs and the internet.”

 

Regina laughed too, shaking her head, offering wryly, “That's not even as unbelievable as it probably should be.”

 

Emma laughed again. She shook her head. “I might be more inclined to believe that if casting the curse didn't require the heart of the thing you love the most.”

 

“True,” Regina agreed and then her brow creased. “You know. That's the one thing I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around. As far as I can tell, Zelena doesn't love much but herself. I have to wonder whose heart she crushed.”

 

Emma shrugged. “Does it really matter? Whoever it was is dead now.”

 

Regina’s lips pursed a moment. “If she loved someone enough to be able to cast the curse, it's still a weakness.”

 

Emma looked like she disagreed but she shrugged again, turning her attention back to her pasta, taking a few bites before she looked back up. “So how are we going to break this curse anyway?”

 

“Well that's the million dollar question now isn't it.” Regina smirked.

 

“You know...” Emma waggled her eyebrows playfully. “We could try kissing. We are True Love after all.”

 

Regina smirked across the table, unable to resist offering coyly, “Why if I didn't know any better, I'd say you just want to kiss me.”

 

The tone had its desired effect as a blush crept its way up Emma’s neck, spreading across her cheeks. “It was just an idea. I don't hear you coming up with anything better,” she mumbled.

 

Regina barely resisted the urge to laugh, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. Teasing Emma was very amusing.

 

“You were just kidding,” Emma realized.

 

“Of course I was kidding, Emma.” Regina did laugh then.

 

xxxxxx

 

They somehow got off the topic of the curse, even though that was supposed to be the purpose of this dinner.

 

“So like, there I am, running through Time Square chasing after this guy and there's so many people and they just don't want to move. And I'm sure I'm going to lose him and I'm so annoyed because I spent all day tracking him down and then like some kind of miracle he just trips and falls down. Flat on his face in the middle of the crowd.” Emma laughed. “So I catch up, and get him up off the ground and this tourist looks at me and says. _Is this for a movie?_ And I just don’t know how to respond. Like there isn’t a single camera anywhere. How on earth could it be for a movie? It makes literally zero sense. And the guy I nabbed is still struggling even though I’ve got him cuffed. And I just looked that tourist dead in the eye and said _yes, it’s called Emma Always Catches the Guy and it will be released next summer ._ ” Emma finished the story with a bright laugh, shaking her head.

 

Regina laughed too as the waiter came over to clear their plates.

 

“Can I get you any dessert?” the young man whom Regina didn’t recognize from the Enchanted Forest asked.

 

Regina glanced across the table at Emma, whose eyes brightened at the mention of dessert. Regina couldn’t help the flutter of fondness in her chest at the expression. She was quite full from dinner though and certainly didn’t want any dessert herself. She looked back at the waiter and said, “None for me, thank you.”

 

“You don’t want anything?” Emma asked, and she sounded oddly disappointed.

 

Regina looked back at her again and sure enough, the brightness in her expression had faded. Regina hadn’t considered that Emma might not order dessert if she didn’t. “You should order something,” she insisted. She knew how much Emma liked sweets and she didn’t want Emma to pass up just because she didn’t want anything.

 

Emma bit her lip, looking uncertain and still sort of disappointed. “No. I’m okay.”

 

Regina frowned, looking back at the waiter. “Could I get a cup of tea, please?”

 

“You’re going to have tea?” Emma asked.

 

“Yes,” Regina nodded, watching Emma from across the table, waiting for what she hoped would happen.

 

Emma fidgeted a bit in her seat. “Well...maybe I’ll look at the dessert menu then.”

 

The young waiter nodded, pulling the dessert menu from his apron and handing it to Emma, “Here you go ma’am.”

 

As she studied the options, Emma’s expression brightened again and Regina couldn’t help the smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth as she watched her.

 

xxxxxx

 

It didn’t take long for the waiter to bring over Regina’s cup of tea and Emma’s slice of chocolate cake.

 

“You know,” Emma said as she looked down at the cake in front of her. “The last time I had dessert at a fancy restaurant it came with an engagement ring.”

 

Although significantly more upscale than Granny’s, Regina wouldn’t exactly classify this place as a _fancy_ restaurant. She didn’t say that though. Instead, she wrinkled her nose. “Ah yes, the flying monkey.”

 

“Yeah him.” Emma grimaced, cutting slowly through the chocolate cake with her fork, mumbling under her breath, “I sure know how to pick ‘em.”

 

Regina wasn’t quite sure how to respond to that. “I’m sorry,” she said quietly, sincerely.

 

Emma shrugged. “Whatever. I didn’t even really love him.”

 

“You didn’t?” Regina quirked a surprised eyebrow. That wasn’t the impression she’d gotten from Henry.

 

“I don’t know.” Emma shrugged again. “I thought I did. When I didn’t have my memories. But...afterwards. I think maybe...”

 

“Maybe what?” Regina prodded when it didn't seem like Emma was going to finish the thought.

 

“Just that…I think there was a void I was trying to fill,” Emma said.

 

Regina tilted her head, watching Emma carefully, once again unsure what exactly to say. “The pirate?” she finally supplied, not especially seriously.

 

Emma nearly choked on her bite of cake. “God, no.”

 

Regina laughed. “I was merely kidding, dear.” A part of Regina wanted to ask if Emma just meant Storybrooke in general or if she meant something more specific but she kept that question to herself, too afraid that she wouldn't be happy with the answer. Instead, she asked, “Where did he disappear to anyway? I’d gotten used to him following you around like a stray puppy but I haven’t seen him since...” she didn’t quite finish the sentence, not sure she really wanted to mention the nightmare curse. This evening had been so pleasant and she didn’t want it to descend into the uncomfortable place it might if Emma thought Regina wanted to talk about _that._ She'd been serious when she'd told Emma that if she never wanted to talk about it, Regina would respect that.

 

Emma shrugged her shoulders, cutting slowly into the cake again. “I kind of finally made him realize that I’m not interested in him. And am not ever going to be.”

 

“You did?” Regina couldn’t help the surprise in her voice or how happy that news made her.

 

“Mmhm,” Emma nodded. “It seems that really was the only reason he was hanging around because I haven’t seen him since. I have no clue what he’s up to...maybe he’s rebuilding his boat...sorry his _ship_.” She laughed, shaking her head.

 

Regina laughed too, taking a sip of her tea.

 

Emma brought her fork up to her mouth and practically moaned as she took the bite of cake. “This is so good,” she said and her eyes shimmered happily.

 

Regina watched as Emma scooped another bite of cake onto her fork, quirking a confused eyebrow when instead of lifting it to her mouth she held it out across the table.

 

“Try it,” Emma insisted, her eyes encouraging Regina to take the offered fork.

 

Regina hesitated, but slowly she reached her hand out, taking the fork from Emma, a tingle running its way up her arm as their hands brushed against each other. She carefully lifted the bite of cake up to her mouth.

 

“Well?” Emma asked expectantly, eagerly, as she accepted the fork back from Regina.

 

The look on Emma’s face was so endearing that Regina was pretty sure even if that had been the worst piece of cake in the world she would have lied. As it was, she didn’t have to. “It’s very good,” Regina smiled.

 

Emma beamed happily back at her.

 

xxxxxx

 

When the waiter brought the bill over to the table, Emma tried to reach for it but Regina scooped it up before she could get her fingers on it.

 

Emma reached for her purse, pulling her wallet out as she craned her head, trying to get a glimpse of the total on the bill that Regina was holding rather close to her body.

 

“Put your money away,” Regina said firmly.

 

“But-” Emma tried to protest.

 

“Don’t argue with me,” Regina cut her off. “I invited you to dinner, I’ll be paying.”

 

Regina was using her mayor voice and Emma knew better than to argue. She’d just have to have quicker reflexes next time. Or preemptively pay. Well...if there was a next time that was. She wasn’t sure why her brain had automatically assumed that there would be. Actually, that was a lie. She knew why. It was because she wanted there to be a next time.

 

xxxxxx

 

Emma walked Regina home, climbing slowly up after her onto the front porch and hesitating there. “So we didn’t really talk much about breaking the curse,” she rubbed the back of her neck.

 

Regina tilted her head, looking amused. “Well you did have that one idea.”

 

“Oh shut up,” Emma grumbled at her, her eyes narrowing in playful annoyance.

 

Regina smirked slowly. “Make me.”

 

Emma’s eyebrows shot towards her hairline in surprise. She opened and closed her mouth incapable of forming words. Was Regina really insinuating what she thought she was?

 

Regina laughed sharply, her eyes bright and filled with amusement.

 

“You’re teasing,” Emma breathed out in understanding.

 

Regina just lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “Perhaps.”

 

Now what was _that_ supposed to mean. Emma’s tongue darted out to moisten her lips.

 

Regina was quiet a long moment, staring at Emma’s mouth before brown eyes were looking back up to meet green ones. “We could,” she said, “Try it. It may work.”

 

Emma swallowed, her heart suddenly hammering hard in her chest. “You...want to kiss?” She must have misunderstood. Or maybe Regina was still teasing?

 

“Yes,” Regina said, taking two steps closer, close enough that Emma could feel the warmth radiating off of her. “If you’d like,” she added, sounding suddenly nervous.

 

Emma’s eyes dipped to stare at Regina’s lips, her heart somehow hammering even harder against her ribcage. Her tongue darted out to moisten her lips once more. “Yeah, okay,” she nodded once, her eyes looking up to meet Regina’s as she leaned in just a little closer.

 

“Okay,” Regina repeated softly, but she didn’t move.

 

They stood like that. A hairsbreadth away, just staring at each other for seconds that felt like minutes or hours. Emma was the one to finally close the gap, pressing her lips tentatively and ever so gently to Regina’s.

 

Regina immediately leaned into the kiss, pressing her lips more firmly against Emma’s, a hand reaching up to cup Emma's cheek, fingers threading gently through her hair.

 

Emma’s hands fluttered uncertainly before they landed on Regina’s hips, pulling her even closer.

 

They kissed for much longer than was probably necessary for curse breaking purposes. Eventually Emma reluctantly pulled back - she could easily get lost in kissing Regina, but that wasn’t what this was supposed to be about. She probably wasn't even supposed to be enjoying it. Although her still rapidly beating heart and the flush of her cheeks definitely gave away that she _had_ enjoyed it.

 

“ _Well_?” She tilted her head, both because she desperately wanted to think about something other than the feel of Regina’s lips against hers and also because she was very curious about whether or not it had worked. “Do you remember?”

 

“No,” Regina shook her head, looking sort of disappointed.

 

Emma’s shoulders sagged. “I’m sorry.”

 

Regina reached out and grabbed one of Emma’s hands, squeezing it gently, as if to say everything would be okay. She squeezed Emma’s hand once more and then let go. “It's not your fault. We're going to figure this out.”

 

“I know.” Emma sighed, biting the inside of her cheek as her eyes were drawn back to Regina’s lips. It took her a couple seconds to realize what she was doing and she rapidly looked away. “I...uhhh…” she ran a hand through her hair. “I should go.”

 

Regina’s expression was unreadable a moment and then she tilted her head. “You don't want to come in for a night cap?”

 

Emma _would_ like to come in for a night cap but, considering that the only thing she could currently think about was kissing Regina again, it probably wasn't the greatest idea. Besides, she didn’t like leaving Henry too long when she hadn’t assigned someone to watch him and she’d already been away for hours, much longer than she’d thought she would be. That was the excuse she used now- “I need to check on Henry.”

 

Regina nodded, “I understand.”

 

Emma nearly frowned. Regina sounded almost hurt...or maybe disappointed? That didn't make much sense though, so she guessed she must be imagining it. “Well...uh…” she rocked on the balls of her feet. “Goodnight.”

 

“Goodnight, Emma,” Regina said.

 

With a head nod, Emma turned to leave. Halfway down the steps, she stopped, turning back around. “Hey, Regina?”

 

Still standing exactly where Emma had left her on the porch, Regina eyed her curiously, expectantly.

 

“I know we didn't figure out how to break the curse...but...I had a good time tonight,” Emma said.

 

Regina’s lips tugged upwards into a warm smile. “I did as well,” she said softly.

 

Emma smiled back at her. “Okay, well... I'm going to go now.”

 

Regina shook her head, looking unmistakably fond as she repeated her previous, “Goodnight, Emma.”

 

Emma was still smiling as she turned back around and finished making her way down the steps.

 

As she walked back to Granny’s, hands in her pockets, it occurred to her that Henry had kind of been right. Tonight might not have been a date but to an outside observer it probably would have looked like one.

 

They’d eaten by candlelight. Regina had insisted on paying. And then they’d kissed on a doorstep. Those definitely sounded like date things. Even if, no matter how much Emma wished it had been, it _hadn't_ been a date.

 

xxxxxx

 

Henry wasn't in the room when Emma woke the next day, which was surprising. Henry rarely woke before she did. Perhaps even more surprising was that Emma had managed to sleep as long as she had. She hadn't been sleeping well since they’d arrived in Storybrooke, but somehow last night she had managed an entire eight hours of dreamless sleep.

 

Rolling onto her back, she stretched slowly, smiling as she recalled the previous evening. Remembered the feel of Regina’s lips pressed against her own. The smile faded when she remembered that the kiss, no matter how much she'd enjoyed it, hadn't been a _real_ kiss. Just a means to an end. And it hadn't even worked.

 

She took her time getting ready and then she headed down to the diner in search of Henry.

 

Sure enough, Henry was sitting at the counter, mug of what was most likely hot chocolate in front of him, chatting animatedly with someone.

 

The someone, Emma realized as she got closer, was Tinkerbell. _Strange,_ she thought. She didn't think Henry and Tinkerbell even knew each other. What on earth could they be talking about?

 

As she got closer she swore she heard the word _date_ and then Henry and Tinkerbell were laughing. _Wait_. Were they gossiping about her and Regina?

 

“What are you two doing?” she asked casually as she leaned against the counter beside Henry.

 

Henry jumped in his seat, like he'd been caught doing something he shouldn't. “Hey Mom,” he said not nearly as smoothly as he'd probably been going for.

 

“Emma, hi,” Tinkerbell greeted with a half wave, her eyes twinkling in amusement.

 

Emma eyed them both suspiciously, prepared to stand there and wait for one of them to crack. It was a good plan. It might have even worked if her cell phone didn't choose that exact moment to ring. She let it ring three times before she couldn't ignore it any longer, pulling the phone out of her pocket. It was Regina.

 

“Hey,” she said casually, avoiding addressing Regina by name because she didn't want to see the looks she was sure Henry and Tinkerbell would give her if they knew who was on the other end. Emma listened carefully to Regina’s suggestion that she come to her office so that they could do some research. “Yeah, okay. I'll be right there.”

 

Henry was eyeing her expectantly when she slid her phone back in her pocket.

 

“I've got to go,” she told him.

 

“Of course you do,” Henry said, looking unsurprised and only a little unimpressed.

 

“Think you can stay here with your new friend for a bit?” Emma tilted her head sideways, glancing between Henry and Tinkerbell.

 

Henry shared a look with Tinkerbell and they looked suddenly much too amused for Emma's liking. “Yeah, okay,” Henry agreed, looking back at Emma.

 

“Behave,” Emma warned.

 

“Of course,” Henry said grinning.

 

Emma shook her head but she ruffled his hair.

 

xxxxxx

 

“I brought coffee.”

 

Regina looked up from the tome she was pouring through to see Emma standing in the doorway of her office, two to-go coffee cups in her hands. Her non-heart did a flip at the sight - a reaction that had her growling internally _enough_ . _Non-romantic_ True Love she reminded herself as her brain brought forward the image of kissing Emma on her porch last night.

 

Emma walked over to the desk, handing one of the cups over to Regina, her fingers brushing against Regina’s as the transfer was made, lingering longer than necessary as their eyes locked - not helping with Regina’s internal _non-romantic_ True Love reminder in the least.

 

Emma cleared her throat, finally pulling back and dropping into the chair across the desk from Regina. She took a large gulp from her coffee cup.

 

Regina took a small sip from her own coffee cup, oddly pleased to realize that Emma had somehow known exactly how she liked her coffee. Her non-heart did another frustrating flip, which she did her best to ignore. “Thanks,” she smiled, taking another sip before setting the cup down on the desk.

 

Emma shrugged. “I figured, what's a research party without some caffeine to keep us going?”

 

Regina watched curiously as Emma reached over and grabbed one of the books, flipping through it, her brow crinkling. She closed it back up and shoved it aside, grabbing another one instead. The crinkle of her brow only deepened as she flipped through that one.

 

Emma looked up from the book. “Are _any_ of these in English?”

 

Regina couldn't help but laugh lightly at the adorably frustrated expression on Emma's face. “I'm afraid not.”

 

Emma frowned, clearly confused. “Well, then, I'm not sure what use I'm going to be here.”

 

Regina just smiled at her. “Here,” she said, pulling a notepad and a pen out of her desk. She jotted down the Elvish words for _heart_ and _courage_ and handed the pad of paper over to Emma. “See if you can find a page that has both of those on it in the book you're looking at right now.”

 

Emma took the notepad, tracing the symbol for _heart_ carefully with one finger. “Yeah okay, I can do that.”

 

xxxxxx

 

“This is pointless,” Emma sighed, slamming the book she was reading shut angrily a couple of hours later. “We’re never going to figure out how to break this curse. Or what Zelena is up to.”

 

Regina watched Emma carefully from across the desk for a long moment. “Let's take a break.”

 

Emma slumped in her chair. “We can't take a break, we just started.”

 

Regina’s eyebrows lifted. “We've been at it for hours,” she reminded Emma.

 

“And accomplished nothing,” Emma grumbled.

 

“You're frustrated,” Regina said. It wasn't a question.

 

“I'm fine,” Emma protested.

 

Regina quirked a disbelieving eyebrow at her. She didn't understand why Emma would bother denying it.

 

Emma met her disbelieving expression with a stubborn one of her own and for a minute it looked like she wouldn't concede but then she sighed heavily. “It's just...why does everything have to be so difficult all the damn time? Like couldn't something be easy. Just this one time?”

 

Something about the way Emma said it made Regina think that she wasn't just referring to magical problems.

 

“We’re going to figure this out,” Regina told her. It was the same reassurance Emma had provided her more than once.

 

“How do you know?” Emma asked - whatever faith she'd previously had in their success clearly waning under the pressure of fruitless research.

 

“Because good always wins,” Regina offered. She'd meant it as a way of lightening the mood but she'd underestimated Emma's level of frustration - the sudden flash of anger in the green eyes staring at her told her she'd made a mistake.

 

“ _Bullshit_ ,” Emma hissed. “Maybe in fairytales. But here in the real world, awful shit happens to good people all of the time.” Her voice was suddenly flat, her expression distant.

 

“ _Emma_ ,” Regina said softly, treading carefully. This was the closest they'd come to discussing Emma's past since that night they'd walked home from the park.

 

Emma shook her head forcefully, as if trying to shake thoughts right out of her head. “Sorry, sorry,” she mumbled, a nervous hand running through her hair. “I shouldn't have…” she trailed off without finishing the thought.

 

“Don't apologize,” Regina said seriously. “It was a misplaced attempt at humour. And it was insensitive.”

 

Emma sighed. “Yeah...well...I was pretty insensitive there to. It's not like everything in the Enchanted Forest was peachy keen for everyone. Bad shit happened to good people there too.” She gave Regina a pointed look, a look that was far too knowing.

 

Regina shifted in her seat, her lips pursing. She wasn't sure how she felt about Emma likening their life experiences. Or about Emma calling her _good_ \- even if maybe she had been once before…. _everything._

 

“So let's just call it even and move on, yeah?” Emma added, her expression suddenly earnest.

 

Regina couldn’t stop her lips from twitching upwards into a smile at the expression, fondness filling her chest. “Alright.”

 

Emma smiled back at her, eyes locked with Regina’s for a long moment. She cleared her throat and looked away, flipping open the book in front of her, the one she'd slammed shut.

 

Regina watched Emma's brow knit into a frown as she studied the pages. “Close the book,” she said, “We’re taking a break.” It wasn't a suggestion this time.

 

“But-”

 

Regina cut Emma off, “A short break to get some fresh air isn't going to negate all the work we've already done this morning or any of the work we will do after we’ve taken the break.”

 

“Yeah, okay,” Emma conceded.

 

xxxxxx

 

They ended up at the park near the manor -  the same one where Emma had confessed about the True Love’s Kiss nights that felt weeks ago.

 

“You know,” Regina said as they walked, “I had this park built when I adopted Henry.”

 

“Really?” Emma glanced over at her curiously.

 

“Yes.” Regina smiled, the kind of smile that was filled with a sort of longing reverence. “I wanted him to have everything.”

 

Emma smiled too. “He was a lucky kid.”

 

“ _Is_ ,” Regina corrected.

 

Emma shrugged. “Yeah.” She couldn't help but think that he’d be luckier once they got his memories back but she didn't say that - they were supposed to be taking a break from curse breaking talk.

 

Emma’s eyes drifted to the swing set only a few yards away. Maybe it it was the mention of Henry’s early childhood, or maybe it was just a feeling that she should reciprocate by sharing something too, but, whatever the reason, she found herself saying, “Swings were my favourite when I was a kid. It was that feeling when you get real high, you know? Like, if you pump your legs just a little harder, you might just be able to fly away.” It was perhaps a little more honest than she usually felt comfortable being, yet she found that she didn't mind Regina knowing.

 

Regina smiled in the way that made Emma think that she could understand and not just sympathize with the feeling of being a child wishing to escape. “I've never actually swung quite that high on a swing,” she admitted after a beat.

 

“What?” Emma's eyes widened in surprise.

 

Regina laughed at the expression before shaking her head. “Swings weren't all that popular in the Enchanted Forest.”

 

“And, once again, I have to wonder if the curse castor was just someone who thought that the Enchanted Forest sucked.” Emma laughed and then, as if pulled there by some outside force, she moved over to the swing set and dropped down into one of the swings.

 

Regina shook her head, following Emma over to the swing set and carefully lowering herself into the swing beside her in a way that made Emma feel pretty sure that Regina could make anything look graceful.

 

Emma rocked her swing back and forth, silence falling between them. The silence wasn't uncomfortable, yet eventually she felt the need to fill it. “Are playground swings going to be our thing?”

 

“Our _thing_?” Regina repeated.

 

Even before she looked over, Emma knew she would be met with a quirked eyebrow. And well, _shit,_ she really should have thought harder before she spoke. She didn't even really know what she'd meant by it, certainly nothing serious. Yet she could hear how it sounded - like it was some kind of relationship sort of thing. She could only hope that Regina wouldn't take it the wrong way. Could only hope that Regina wouldn't use the offhanded comment to make inferences about Emma's very much existent but supposed to be _secret_ feelings.

 

“You think we need a _thing_?” Regina lifted both eyebrows in Emma's direction.

 

Emma couldn't stop the blush that crept it's way up her neck. “I didn't mean it like that,” she grumbled.

 

Regina looked far too amused for Emma's liking - although amusement was definitely better than discomfort or disgust. “And how pray-tell did you mean it?” She asked, sounding oddly coy.

 

“Like a friend way,” Emma rushed out. “Friends have _things._ ”

 

Regina still looked amused and probably also a little disbelieving.

 

“They do,” Emma whined, fidgeting in the swing.

 

Regina barked out a laugh and then after a beat that felt like minutes, apparently finally taking pity on Emma, she said, the teasing in her voice apparent, “I'm sure they do.” There was a beat though and then she repeated it, this time softly, “I'm sure they do.”

 

It sounded oddly longing and Emma stared at Regina, confused, trying to sort out why that was. Or, at least, she stared until she realized that that was what she was doing, and then she abruptly looked away.

 

She tipped herself back in the swing to stare up at the cloud filled sky. When she straightened, she could feel Regina’s eyes still on her. She swallowed thickly. “How _are_ we going to break this curse?” she asked even though they were supposed to be taking a break. She'd accidentally made things uncomfortable and now she just wanted them to go back to normal.

 

Regina watched her with an unreadable expression for a long moment before she suggested with a smirk, “We could always try kissing again.”

 

Emma breathed a sigh of relief at the teasing. Teasing was good. Teasing meant Regina wasn't upset with her. Teasing she could do. She grinned, “Yes, let's do that.”

 

Regina’s eyes darkened, her eyes flickering down to look at Emma's lips.

 

Suddenly uncertain, Emma rubbed the back of her neck, chuckling almost nervously. “You were kidding, right?”

 

Regina startled, her eyes drawn away from Emma's lips back upwards. “Yes, of course,” she said, although she didn't sound nearly that certain.

 

Even though Emma had thought they were kidding all long, she couldn't help the way her shoulders slumped. She really needed to get a better handle on this infatuation. It wasn't fair to Regina.

 

“We could _..._ ” Regina started, eyeing her hesitantly, like she wasn't sure if she was making the right decision. “We could always try it again. Just to be sure.”

 

Emma's brow furrowed in confusion. If it hadn’t worked last night, why would it work if they tried again? “But-” she started to question but she stopped when Regina just quirked an eyebrow at her, sudden realization making butterflies flutter in the pit of her stomach. Was Regina saying she _wanted_ to kiss her? Not for curse breaking purposes? But just because?

 

Regina’s brief moment of confidence was rapidly replaced with an expression filled with nervousness as she watched the realization flicker across Emma’s face.

 

Emma swallowed thickly, her heart rate picking up speed, her eyes flickering down to look at Regina’s lips. And then she was standing and moving so that she was in front of Regina. She reached for Regina’s hands and tugged gently, helping her up from the swing.

 

“Are you sure about this?” Emma asked, her hands still clutching Regina’s, her heart fluttering nervously.

 

“Yes,” Regina nodded, her tongue darting out to moisten her lips.

 

That was all the confirmation Emma needed. Unlike last night, there was no hesitation this time. She let go of Regina’s hands, closing the gap between them and pressing her lips to Regina’s with a kind of urgency.

 

Regina responded immediately, reaching up and looping her arms around Emma’s neck and pulling her closer, deepening the kiss.

 

Emma settled her hands on Regina’s hips, moaning as Regina’s tongue darted out, pressing against her lips and then pushing into her mouth.  

 

When they finally pulled back, they were both breathless, and Emma was pretty sure she’d forgotten her own name.       

 

“That was...wow.” Emma grinned dopily.

 

Regina smirked slowly. “ _Wow_ , indeed.”

 

xxxxxx

 

Emma would have gladly given up on research for the remainder of the day in favour of more kissing. But any hope she might have had for continued kissing was dashed by a call from Belle, who had apparently finally sorted out Zelena’s plans.

 

So, here they were now at the Pawn Shop, learning all about time travel, and how it wasn’t supposed to be possible, but maybe it actually would be possible with the ingredients that Zelena had been gathering. Or something like that - truthfully, Emma maybe wasn’t pay all that much attention.

 

Instead, she was mostly just thinking about kissing Regina. The best kissing she’d ever partaken in. She wondered what it meant. Did Regina like her? Or was this just because of the True Love thing? Did Regina just think she _had_ to like Emma now? God, Emma hoped that wasn’t it. Because that kissing had been...everything. And she hated hated hated the thought of Regina only kissing her because she thought she should.

 

“Do you have the two sided candle?” Regina asked Belle. “The one that killed my mother?”

 

“Yes,” Belle said carefully, looking uncertain. “Why?”

 

“I need it,” Regina said. “To summon my mother.”

 

Wait. _What_ ? Emma blinked rapidly, suddenly very much paying attention. _She must have misheard that, right?_ “Did you just say we’re summoning your mother? Like...I can’t be the only who thinks Zombie Cora is a bad idea. When did raising the dead become a thing that was even actually possible?”

 

“We’re not raising the dead, Emma. It’s called a seance.” Regina shook her head.

 

“Oh,” was all Emma said, the expression on her face still the picture of horror.

 

xxxxxx

 

The seance was weird - Emma decided that there was no better way to describe it than that.

 

First there was the weird poison tea that her dad almost drank before Regina got a chance to explain that it wasn’t for drinking.

 

Then there was some weird portal in the ceiling but no Cora Mills.

 

Then there was her mother being possessed, like some kind of Exorcist type shit, by Cora Mill’s spirit.

 

And then there was Regina exorcising Cora right out of Mary Margaret - like some _more_ weird Exorcist type stuff.

 

Then it turned out the exorcism wasn’t actually necessary because _apparently_ Cora had come in peace with only the intention of revealing the truth about the past

 

And, yeah, that was where things got _really_ weird. Because now they knew the truth - they were going to cease to exist if they didn’t stop Zelena. No pressure or anything.     

 

xxxxxx

 

Regina watched Emma stare out the window as the truck headlights backed out of the driveway. It wasn't until the truck was on its way down the street, driving away from the manor, that Emma turned around, studying Regina with a serious expression. “Are you okay?” she questioned.

 

“Of course I’m okay,” Regina insisted probably just a little too quickly.

 

Emma pulled a face that suggested she didn't quite believe Regina. “You don't have to pretend that dealings with your mother aren't...difficult. I've met her. I know.”

 

Regina sighed. “She ended up helping us tonight. She wanted to help.”

 

Emma's expression was too knowing for Regina’s liking. “Yes,” she agreed, moving closer. “Doesn't change anything she's done in the past.”

 

Regina watched Emma. Emma with eyes that had once belonged to a scared child. Emma who probably understood better than anyone in this town what it was like to grow up the way Regina had. Their childhoods had been vastly different, yet in ways also very similar. “Yes, well...” Regina pursed her lips, not bothering to elaborate any further.

 

Emma gave her a gentle knowing smile and didn't push for her to say anything further.

 

Regina’s gaze dropped from Emma's eyes to her lips, recalling the way they'd kissed at the park earlier that day. The kissing had been wonderful. And kissing right now seemed like a much better alternative to talking about things she didn't enjoy talking about. Suddenly, almost as if her body had a mind of its own, she was closing the gap between them. Her hands reached up, cupping Emma's cheeks, and she hesitated only a moment, eyes searching Emma's to make sure this was okay, before she crashed their lips together.

 

Emma moaned softly into the kiss, her lips parting and her arms looping around Regina’s neck, fingers tangling in dark hair, kissing her back with matched intensity.

 

Emma was the one to pull back first, resting her forehead against Regina’s as she panted for air. Eventually she straightened, a hand running through her hair to smooth it out. “What are we doing?” she asked, her tone an odd mixture of wonder and bewilderment.

 

“I believe the kids call this kissing,” Regina smirked, unable to resist teasing Emma because it was just too easy and too fun.

 

Emma barked out a laugh. “I'm pretty sure the kids call it something much more hip than kissing.”

 

“ _Hip_?” Regina quirked an amused eyebrow at the word choice.

 

“Oh hush,” Emma grumbled, rolling her eyes but then she ran a hand through her hair, her voice getting quieter. “That's not what I meant.”

 

“Okay,” Regina said carefully but didn’t add anything further, waiting patiently for Emma to elaborate.

 

“ _This ._ ” Emma motioned between them. “ _Us_. What is it? Are you just...is this just because the True Love thing happened?”

 

“Is it for you?” Regina turned the question back on Emma without actually answering it.

 

“No,” Emma answered immediately, sounding certain. “I've wanted…” she trailed off and Regina wasn’t sure if that was because she didn’t know what she wanted or just that she didn’t know how Regina would react to hearing it. “I’ve wanted…” she tried again but she still didn’t elaborate, this time finishing the thought with, “for a long time.”

 

Regina didn’t need Emma to elaborate to understand though. “Me too,” she said seriously, staring into wide green eyes as if she might be able to read Emma’s mind. She couldn’t, of course, so she asked, “Is that so hard to believe? That I would want what you want?”

 

Emma shrugged her shoulders, running her hand nervously through her hair. Her expression got oddly distant and Regina was starting to feel pretty certain that she wasn’t going to get an answer when Emma spoke, so quietly that Regina had to strain to hear.

 

“It's just...how could you?” Emma’s whole chest heaved a sigh, her eyes still distant. “After whatever you saw in that nightmare curse. How could you look at me and see anything other than a sad, pathetic, broken child incapable of defending herself?” Emma’s gaze dropped to the floor.

 

Regina non-heart clenched, the sudden ache there almost crippling. _Oh Emma_ , she thought.  Emma, sweet Emma, who never saw herself the way everyone else saw her. She should have expected this. “Emma,” she said, so softly, so tenderly, and Emma looked up at her like she was lost and Regina might be able to guide her home.

 

Regina wanted to reach out, wanted to brush her hand against Emma’s cheek, or take Emma's hand in her own, but she hesitated, unsure how Emma might react to such an action while her eyes still looked so distant. Instead she spoke, firmly, in a way that she hoped would leave little room for doubt in Emma’s mind. “You know what I see when I look at you, Emma? I see a woman who could have so easily grown up to be angry, and hateful, and bitter, and uncaring, who instead grew up to be kind, and selfless, and strong, and just so very good. I look at you and see someone worthy of so much admiration. I see _you_.”

 

Emma swallowed, so many emotions flickering across her face and Regina could tell that she was overwhelmed. “I…” she struggled with what to say, hesitating a long time before she simply said, “Thank you.”

 

Regina smiled fondly at her, leaning forward and pressing her lips gently to Emma’s. The kiss was slow and sweet and much less frantic than their earlier kissing.

 

Emma was smiling when they pulled back, looking content. After a moment though, contentment was replaced with the slightest crinkle of her forehead and she seemed deep in thought. “What was it like? The nightmare curse?” she asked quietly.

 

Regina’s lips pursed at the question, studying Emma carefully. “Do you really want to know?” she finally asked, seriously. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to talk about it but she really didn’t want to make Emma uncomfortable. Not when she'd promised that she'd only ever talk about the nightmare curse if Emma wanted to.

 

Despite having been the one to bring it up, Emma hesitated, suddenly looking tense, her shoulders creeping towards her ears, but she nodded, “Yes.”

 

“Okay,” Regina agreed, although she made no move to actually answer the question. They were heading rapidly towards a very serious, potentially difficult, conversation and Regina wanted to treat it with the care it deserved. More than that, Emma still looked so very tense and Regina wanted her to relax. “Do you want a drink?” she asked, hoping that that would help dispel the tension.

 

Emma’s eyebrows quirked up in surprise but then she seemed to relax, the tension in her shoulders easing, her lips twitching into a smile as she joked, “As long as it isn’t that poison tea.”

 

Regina rolled her eyes but she couldn’t stop the laughter from bubbling out of her chest, her own tension dissipating.     

 

xxxxxx

 

They settled in the living room, sitting side by side on the couch, each holding a tumbler of cider.

 

Regina watched Emma swirl her drink around the glass and then take a long gulp of it. Regina took a small sip of her own drink. “What exactly do you want to know?” she asked carefully. She would tell Emma anything she wanted to hear but she wanted her to be the one to guide this conversation.

 

Emma shrugged, looking down into her drink. “I don’t know...just...I keep wondering about it. Because...no one else has ever known anything. And now I know that you know _something_ or maybe _everything_...I’m not sure which one it is….and I just...I don’t know what to do with that…” she paused to take a breath and then continued, her words rambling but clearly leading somewhere, “I feel...guilty.”

 

Emma looked up from her drink and over at Regina, green eyes wide and almost pleading, looking so much more vulnerable than they usually did. “I know you said I shouldn’t be sorry. But I still am. You stepped in front of a curse meant for _me_ . And the Hendersons were...they weren’t good.” She shuddered. “And I hate that you had to see it. Or live it. Or whatever the nightmare curse did to you. Like…” her eyes widened and she suddenly looked a little ill. “You weren’t me, were you? In the nightmare. You didn’t...they didn’t hurt _you_ did they?”

 

“I wasn’t you,” Regina reassured quickly. “I was nothing more than an observer. More useless than a ghost, really. I couldn’t be seen or heard and I could not affect what was happening.”

 

That seemed to put Emma at ease. “Good,” she nodded, raising her glass to take a sip of her drink.

 

Regina wasn’t sure she would call it _good_. In some ways, she would have much preferred to be an active participant. At least then she could have clobbered those despicable people. But if knowing Regina had only seen and not lived her worst nightmare put Emma at ease, she was not about to debate that.

 

Regina reached over carefully, slowly so as not to startle Emma, and settled her hand on Emma’s knee. She squeezed gently wanting nothing more than to be able to offer comfort as guilt settled, the way it usually did, heavily on Regina’s chest. “I hope you know how sorry I am.”

 

Emma’s brow crinkled. “Sorry?”

 

Regina swallowed thickly. “For the part I played in your childhood. If it weren't for _my_ curse you never would have been anywhere near those vile people."

 

Emma blinked slowly, watching her with serious green eyes. She shook her head. “You’re no more to blame than anyone else.”

 

Regina turned that answer over in her head a moment before she admitted with a sigh, “I don’t understand why you don’t hate everyone.”

 

Emma shrugged. “What’s the point? What does hating everyone gain me? What happened, already happened. My childhood…” she sighed. “It sucked. But it...it made me who I am. And the way I grew up...in the end, that’s what brought us Henry. What if one thing changed and then we didn’t get him? I can’t…” She shrugged again, taking a breath and starting over. “The past is the past. It was a lot of bad. But it’s over. And I just don’t see the point in placing blame now. Not when the extenuating circumstances turned out to be...especially complicated.”

 

“You’re too good,” Regina breathed out.

 

“Too good for what?” Emma frowned.

 

“For this entire town,” Regina smiled ruefully, before shaking her head and adding more quietly, “and for me.” She still couldn't sort out how she'd gotten a True Love at all, let alone _Emma_.

 

Emma’s brow furrowed further but she just shook her head, and reached up to tuck a piece of dark hair behind Regina’s ear. It was such a tender gesture, punctuated by the softest of smiles. “You’re ridiculous,” was all she said.

 

The way Emma said it, as if it wasn't even a point that should be debated at all, made Regina's non-heart flutter, fondness filling her chest. Even if she wasn't necessarily sure she agreed, she was incapable of not returning the soft smile with one of her own.

 

Emma smiled a little bit wider and leaned over to press her lips to Regina’s, soft and gentle and then more urgently.

 

When they parted, they were both a little breathless and both still smiling. Regina lifted her glass, sipping her drink, Emma doing the same as they sat in comfortable silence for awhile.

 

“Can I ask you something?” Regina finally broke the silence.

 

“Sure,” Emma agreed slowly.

 

“How long did you stay in that home?” Regina asked carefully.

 

“Nine months.”

 

“What happened to them? The Hendersons?” Regina asked a second question just as carefully as the first. She'd promised she wouldn't be the one bring up the nightmare curse but now that they were talking about it, it was a question she couldn't help but ask - it was something she'd been wondering about, almost incessantly. Still, she watched Emma for signs of discomfort, prepared to take the question back if need be.

 

Emma swallowed, looking down at her nearly empty drink for a long moment before she looked back at Regina. “Jerry died.”

 

Regina held her breath, waiting patiently for Emma to continue.

 

Emma’s expression and voice grew distant as she explained, “He was drunk. Off duty but driving a police cruiser. Too fast. Of course. He always drove too fast. And he lost control. Crashed. My social worker showed up two days later.” She laughed humourlessly. “I guess Lorraine didn’t want to be a single mother.”   

 

Regina let out the breath she’d been holding. She couldn’t say she was sorry that that man was dead. At least now she wouldn't have to track him down herself. And, yet, she felt little satisfaction in knowing how Emma's stay in that home had ended. “So...your social worker never suspected anything? You would have just been left there indefinitely had _that man_ lived?” She said _that man_ with so much disdain.

 

Emma shrugged, her fingers tapping against the side of her glass. “It's not like I said anything.”

 

Regina could feel anger within her flaring - not at Emma but at the circumstances. She thought of the nightmare curse, of child-Emma with a broken arm and an ER doctor who had looked at a man in a police uniform and trusted him. So many people had failed Emma. It didn't seem fair that they hadn't been punished for it. “You shouldn't have had to say anything,” Regina insisted. “It makes me angry that no one was protecting you.”

 

“Yes, well,” Emma said without elaboration.

 

It didn't escape Regina that those were the exact same words she'd chosen to end the conversation about her mother earlier. She sighed softly, reaching over and settling a hand on Emma's shoulder.

 

Emma smiled at her. It was a sad little smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

 

“You know,” Regina said, “I'm glad I stepped in front of that curse.”

 

Emma frowned ever so slightly, as if she couldn't quite figure out why Regina was bringing that up. “Yeah, because of Henry,” she said uncertainly.

 

“No,” Regina shook her head and she suddenly wished she'd never used Henry as a justification. Emma who had never had anyone do anything just for _her,_ whose own parents even had put the needs of a kingdom first, deserved to know the truth. Deserved to know that she mattered for more than just what she could do for others. To Regina, Emma mattered. “I just said that…the truth is, there wasn't time for logic. I just reacted.”

 

Emma's brow furrowed further. “So…” she trailed off as if afraid to reach a conclusion.

 

“I just wanted to protect you, Emma. That was all,” Regina said carefully.

 

“Oh.” Emma's eyes widened and she seemed at a loss, though Regina could tell just how much that meant to her. “Why?” she whispered, looking so very uncertain.

 

“Because you looked afraid and you never look afraid…” Regina trailed off, wondering if that would be enough but Emma was still looking at her with so much uncertainty and so she sighed, admitting, “And because I care about you Emma. That's why.”

 

“Really?” Emma managed to sound hopeful and disbelieving all at once.

 

The expression on Emma’s face would be adorable, Regina thought, if it wasn't so sad. “You woke me from a curse with True Love’s Kiss. Is it really so hard to believe that I care about you?” she questioned.

 

“I guess not.” Emma's lips twitched into a genuine smile then, spreading slowly until it reached her eyes.

 

Regina returned the smile.

 

They stared at each other a long moment and then Emma tilted her head. “Is this the part where we kiss?”

 

“Haven't we already kissed several times this evening?” Regina quirked an amused eyebrow.

 

Emma waggled her eyebrows up and down and then gave Regina a look that could only be described as that of an eager puppy. “But I like kissing you.”

 

It took a lot of effort for Regina not to laugh. She reached over to take Emma's glass from her hand, setting both glasses down on the coffee table, and turning her attention back to Emma. “Well in that case…” she smiled coyly, leaning over to press her lips against Emma's.

 

xxxxxx

 

They made out on the couch like they were a couple of teenagers for a really long time.

 

Emma was _still_ smiling like a dopey idiot thinking about _that_ when she walked back into her and Henry's room at Granny’s.

 

Henry eyed her curiously from where he was already tucked under the covers, comic book in his lap. “Everything is okay?” he asked.

 

“Yep. Everything is good,” Emma confirmed, still smiling. Maybe she wasn't _ever_ going to stop smiling. Maybe that's what kissing Regina had reduced her to - nothing more than a dopey smiling idiot.

 

Henry eyed her uncertainly, like he was trying to sort out what the dopey grin on her face meant. “So the emergency wasn't anything dangerous?” he was clearly trying to sound casual but the hint of worry there was plainly obvious.

 

And well, _shit_ , Emma thought, smile suddenly gone. She should have come back sooner. Or maybe she just should never have called it an emergency when she left Henry for the second time in one evening - even if she _had_ thought it was an emergency. Her mother being possessed by a ghost _sounded_ like an emergency. He’d always been so mature, sometimes it was easy to forget that he was just twelve, just a kid still, who got scared, and needed reassurance. A kid who didn't even know about magic right now, which must make everything that was going on seem scarier.

 

She moved over to his bed, sitting down on the edge and settling a hand on his leg through the blanket. “I’m sorry, I shouldn't have said it was an emergency. It was a false alarm. You don't need to worry, okay? Nothing bad is going to happen.” Well, except for the possibility that they were going to cease to exist but it wasn't as if she was going to say _that_.

 

He searched her face, like he was looking for a lie. “Will you tell me how the case is going?” The question was serious, quiet.

 

Emma rubbed his leg. She sighed softly. “There isn't much to tell, kid.”

 

Henry's face hardened. “ _Isn't_ or you just won't?”

 

Emma sighed again, heavier this time. “Henry there are things I can't tell you, yet. We've been over this.”

 

“Then how am I supposed to believe that nothing bad is going to happen? Bad stuff already happened,” Henry protested.

 

Emma was quiet a long moment, trying to sort out what to say. She sort of wished Regina was here right now - she'd probably know how to make Henry feel better. “I just need you to trust me, kid,” she finally said. It was an awful answer, she knew, but she didn't know what else she could say here without trying to explain magic.

 

Henry sighed. He didn't seem all that happy with the answer but he didn't demand a different answer either. “Am I at least allowed to ask where you were tonight?”

 

Emma nodded - that she _could_ answer. “I was at Regina’s.”

 

“Oh,” Henry's brow furrowed a second and then his eyes widened in sort of surprise. “ _Oh_.”

 

Emma's lips twitched into an amused smile. She could tell that he was misinterpreting that just a little but it was better for him to think that she'd snuck off to make out with the mayor - which, okay, was technically sort of half the truth - than for him to think whatever it was he'd been thinking earlier that had made him so worried.

 

She stood, ruffling his hair and leaning over to kiss his cheek before he could move away. “I'm going to get ready for bed.”

 

xxxxxx

 

The next morning, Emma and Regina planned to meet Mary Margaret and David to discuss what they’d learned at the seance and the increasingly pressing matter of figuring out how to deal with breaking the curse.

 

“My parents are already here,” Emma told Regina as she lead the way through Granny’s and towards the bed and breakfast lounge. “But they can wait,” she added, stopping once they were halfway down the empty hallway.

 

“Wait?” Regina quirked a curious eyebrow, stopping as well.

 

Emma grinned slowly. “Yes, _wait_ . I need time do _this_ ,” she leaned forward and pressed her lips to Regina’s in a searing kiss. “Good morning,” she whispered happily when she pulled back.

 

“Good morning, indeed.” Regina’s lips tugged into a smirk and then she was backing Emma up against the wall, one hand tangling in blonde hair, the other settling on her hip, as she re-locked their lips together.

 

The kiss lasted until there was the squeaking of sneakers against tile and they jumped apart.

 

“Henry!” Emma’s eyes widened in mild alarm at having been caught kissing.

 

Henry looked a mixture of horrified at seeing his mother kissing and completely beyond smug. “Want to tell me again how that date the other night wasn’t a date?”

 

“It wasn’t!” Emma insisted.

 

Henry rolled his eyes. “Seriously Mom?”

 

“It wasn’t,” Emma insisted once more and then she looked over at Regina. “Help me out here.”

 

Regina’s eyes twinkled in amusement. “I don’t know. I _did_ show up with a gift.”

 

“Exactly!” Henry said, looking beyond pleased with her agreement.   

 

 _Seriously?_ Emma mouthed at Regina because they both knew those cookies had been for Henry. Or, at least, Emma assumed they’d been for Henry. They were his favourite kind, after all. Which, okay, was conveniently also her favourite kind. But still. It definitely wasn’t a date. And they'd only kissed at the end of it for possible curse breaking purposes. Even if now Emma was sure that they’d _both_ wanted to kiss for reasons other than curse breaking. That still didn't make it any more a date.

 

“Anyway…” Henry cleared his throat, awkwardly. “I uhh...was just going to get my Game Boy. But I’ll be back in this _public_ hallway in like three minutes. Just so you know.”

 

Emma waited until Henry disappeared into their room and then she leaned over to press her lips back to Regina’s.

 

Regina pulled back. “What are you doing?”

 

“You heard the kid,” Emma smirked. “We’ve got three minutes.”

 

Regina quirked an incredulously eyebrow at Emma but she was the one to re-close the gap between them.

 

xxxxxx

 

They were both still flushed when they walked into the lounge and Mary Margaret eyed them suspiciously.

 

“You two look…” Mary Margaret trailed off but that was enough for Emma to flush an even darker shade of red, which made Mary Margaret’s eyes widen comically in understanding.

 

It took everything Regina had not to laugh in delight.

 

David looked utterly clueless as he glanced between the three of them. Finally he seemed to give up trying to sort it out, asking, “So how are we going to break this curse?”

 

“I don't know,” Emma sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. “Last time I just had to believe in magic and kiss Henry and then presto, curse broken. But I believe plenty in magic, and I've kissed Henry a bunch of times, but nothing has happened.”

 

Listening to Emma speak, it was like a light bulb went off in Regina’s head. “That's it,” she said and everyone turned to look at her. “It's the belief. Henry needs to believe for True Love’s Kiss to work.”

 

“But _how_?” Emma asked, brow furrowed. “We couldn't figure out how to remake that memory potion. Are we supposed to put on a magic show? And hope we don’t give him a heart attack?”

 

“The book!” Mary Margaret practically shouted and then mumbled sheepishly, “Sorry,” before continuing, “It's just, the book is how he believed before. Maybe if we could give him the storybook now he would believe again.”

 

“Okay,” Emma nodded slowly, seeming to agree. “But where is the book?

 

“It's not in his room,” Regina supplied and then looked away from everyone, not wanting anyone to ask how she knew that.

 

“We should check the loft,” Mary Margaret suggested. “During the last curse it just sort of appeared in my closet when Henry needed it.”

 

“Yeah, okay, let's go,” Emma nodded, leading the way out of the room.

 

xxxxxx

 

They were almost out of the diner when Henry stopped them. He stood from where he’d been lounged in one of the booths, feet propped up, playing his Game Boy. “Wait.”

 

He discarded the Game Boy on the table, and moved over towards them. He glanced from Emma and Regina to Mary Margaret and David and then back to Emma again. “Where are you going?” he asked suspiciously.

 

Regina watched as Emma frowned.

 

“We just have to check something out, kid, we won't be long.”

 

Henry frowned right back, looking from Regina to Mary Margaret and David again - something about his expression suggesting that the grandparents that he didn't know were his grandparents were the source of his confusion. “I thought you were spending the day with Regina again.”

 

Emma looked confused. “Mary Margaret and David are helping too,” she said carefully.

 

Henry's brow only furrowed further. “So this is about the case, then?”

 

It was a curious response and Regina couldn't help but wonder what exactly Henry had thought she and Emma were going to do today. Although, perhaps she didn't actually need to wonder - him catching them kissing in the hallway had more than likely given him the wrong impression.

 

“Yes,” Emma said. It was just as careful as her previous response, like she thought she was treading on thin ice.

 

Henry shook his head. “I don't understand why you don't just call the police. Aren't they supposed to solve murders? Catch the bad guys. That's what they teach at school. When you have a problem, call the police. That's what they exist for.”

 

Emma twitched. It was nearly imperceptible and Regina only really caught it because she was watching her but it made her wonder - did Emma just not like Henry questioning her about things she couldn't answer? Or was the twitching about something else? Knowing what she knew about Emma's past and the monster in a police uniform that Emma had lived with, Regina couldn't help but assume that the inference of the police as ultimate saviours made Emma uncomfortable, even if it was just on a subconscious level.

 

Emma's eyes darted hesitantly over to look at Regina, and then her parents, before they were back on Henry. “The Sheriff's Department is actively involved in the investigation, Henry.”

 

Henry looked disbelieving. “I haven't seen a single police officer around here.”

 

Emma twitched again and this time Regina noted how she'd said _Sheriff’s Department_ while Henry had said _police_. It hadn't occurred to Regina before but now she couldn't help but wonder if being law enforcement bothered Emma, even just a little bit. It was a curious thought that made her stomach twist. Something to file away for a possible future discussion.

 

Emma ran a hand through her hair, looking uncomfortable and maybe even a little hurt. “Are you saying you don't believe me, kid?”

 

Henry hesitated, his mouth opening and closing, like he wasn't sure what to say. “No,” he finally sighed but then he snapped, “I just don't understand why you’re investigating something so dangerous. Or why you won't tell me anything.”

 

“We've talked about this,” Emma said. “We _just_ talked about this last night.”

 

“But you never say _why_ you won't tell me,” Henry pushed.

 

“Because I'm your mother and I know what's best!” Emma snapped.

 

Henry's eyes widened, clearly surprised, and maybe even alarmed, by his mother losing her patience. A quick glance at the Charmings told Regina that they were just as surprised by the outburst as Henry was.

 

“Sorry,” Henry grumbled, somewhere between genuine and angry. “Go do whatever you've got to do.” He turned and went back to the booth to snatch his Game Boy before stalking off in the direction of the bed and breakfast rooms.

 

Emma watched him go with an expression that looked pained. She was clearly debating whether she should chase after him or not.

 

Mary Margaret reached over and put a hand on Emma's forearm, as if to offer some comfort.

 

Emma flinched, pulling sharply away from her mother and, if there had been any lingering doubt in Regina’s mind that the talk of police officers had put Emma on edge, there was none now.

 

“Let's go,” Emma said, expression blank, shoulders tense. She spun on her heels, moving quickly out the door, leaving them no choice but to follow her.

 

xxxxxx

 

It took all of four minutes for them to find the book in the loft.

 

“Why didn't we think of this before?” Emma grumbled as they walked into Granny’s.

 

It was the kind of grumbling that didn’t really require an answer.

 

Henry wasn't in the diner, so Emma told her parents to wait there and motioned for Regina to follow her into the bed and breakfast and down the hall.

 

As they walked, Regina tried to quell the flurry of anticipation that was simmering in the pit of her stomach. If this worked, any minute now Henry would have his memories back. Her son would remember her. She wouldn’t have to pretend to be a stranger. She couldn’t wait to wrap her arms around him, to hold him tightly, to tell him how much she loved him.

 

She was so lost in thought that she almost walked right into Emma as she stopped at the door to her and Henry’s room. She held her breath as Emma unlocked the door, pushing it open.

 

“Henry?” Emma called confused as they stepped into the empty room. “Henry?” she tried again, as if she thought he might just magically appear. When there was still no response, she looked over at Regina asking frantically, “Where is he?”

 

Regina felt dread spread through her chest, replacing her previous hopeful anticipation.

 

xxxxxx

 

Regina wanted to use a locator spell to find Henry but Emma was two steps ahead with GPS tracking, an app which she’d unapologetically installed on Henry’s phone back in New York.  

 

They caught up with Henry near the docks. He was walking alone.

 

“Henry!” Emma shouted, picking up the pace as she jogged towards him.

 

“Mom?” Henry called confused, stopping and turning around to look at her.

 

“What are you doing out here?” Emma demanded, panic still swimming through her veins.

 

Henry looked guilty. “I...was just...taking a walk. I-” the rest of his defense died on his lips, his eyes drawn to the sky, widening in fear, at the sudden appearance of a pack of flying monkeys. “W-W-What?” he stammered out.

 

“Run Henry!” Emma insisted forcefully. “Find cover!” She was already pulling out her revolver, aiming it at the sky and pulling the trigger.

 

She sensed more than saw Regina beside her as fireballs joined the array of bullets sailing through the sky towards the flying monkeys. Out of the corner of her eye she saw her father swing his sword at a monkey that got just a little too close.

 

The pack of monkeys were no match for them and within minutes the threat was gone.

 

Henry rose on shaky legs from where he’d ducked behind a bench. The confusion on his face was so plain to see.

 

Emma took the storybook from Mary Margaret and carried it over to him.

 

“Mom?” he asked, and he sounded so much younger than he usually did. “W-what is going on?”

 

“Do you trust me, Henry?” Emma asked carefully. She could feel her parents and Regina’s eyes on her but she didn’t look over at them, her entire focus was on her son.

 

Henry’s brow furrowed further. “Of course I do,” he said and he sounded certain despite his obvious confusion at the question.

 

“Then I need you to take this,” Emma held the book out for him.

 

“A book of fairytales?” He asked uncertainly, like he couldn’t fathom what that would have to do with anything.

 

“It’s not just a book,” Emma explained, hesitating to say anything else.

 

“I don’t understand,” He shook his head, looking at her with wide eyes begging for some kind of explanation that would make any sense to him.

 

“I know,” Emma nodded, unable to really give him one, “But you will. Please just take the book.”

 

“Okay,” he said slowly, his eyes still on hers as he reached and took the book from her. He froze as soon as the book was in his hands, his eyes glazing over for a moment, and then they were widening in understanding. “Mom,” he said, eyes still on Emma, and then his head turned, finding Regina. “ _Mom_ ,” he repeated, a smile spreading across his face. He handed the book back to Emma and he darted towards Regina.

 

Regina’s arms were outstretched before Henry even made it to her, and she folded him into a hug, pulling him tight to her chest. “Henry, oh Henry,” she murmured softly, her voice laced with thick emotion.

 

Emma let them have the moment, hanging back until Regina’s eyes met hers over the top of Henry’s head, and she motioned with her head for Emma to come closer. Emma handed the book over to her mother and then shuffled over to Regina and Henry.

 

Regina still had her hands on Henry’s shoulders, like she never wanted to let him go again, but he was facing Emma now. “Do it,” Regina urged, a smile on her face. “Break the curse.”

 

Emma bent forward, prepared to place a kiss to Henry’s forehead but suddenly, with a flash of green light, he was no longer in Regina arms.

 

“Not so fast,” Zelena cackled.

 

Emma turned around wildly, her heart thumping loudly in her chest, adrenaline surging through her veins at the sight of Zelena with her hands around Henry’s neck and Henry’s eyes wide and pleading to be saved.

 

“Let him go,” Regina hissed angrily, surging forward towards Zelena but she only made it two steps before she was flying backwards, landing in a heap on the ground.

 

“Regina!” Emma yelled, her heart thumping even louder in her chest when Regina didn’t get up off of the floor.

 

Henry made a pained hissing sound and Emma’s head darted away from Regina back towards him and Zelena.

 

Zelena was squeezing Henry’s throat even tighter. She was threatening Emma’s family. Her son. And her... _Regina_. She wasn’t going to let that happen. All she could think of was protecting them. And then her hands began to shake, white magic spilling out.

 

Zelena hissed in pain, her hands instantly releasing Henry’s throat as if holding on was burning her, and she disappeared in a puff of green smoke, gone as quickly as she had come.

 

Emma glanced between Henry and Regina not sure where to go first. The decision was made for her as Henry raced by her to drop down beside Regina on the ground.

 

“Mom!” Henry cried in worry.

 

Regina groaned, pushing herself up into a seated position. “I’m fine,” she reassured and Henry helped her stand. She wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly a long moment before she pulled back, cupping his cheeks and studying him carefully. “Are you okay?”

 

“Yes,” Henry confirmed.

 

Regina looked like maybe she wasn’t quite sure if she believed that but she didn’t question him, she just leaned forward and pressed her lips to his forehead, a burst of light suddenly spreading outward like a wave.

 

Emma’s eyes widened in understanding at what had just happened. She glanced between her parents and Regina and Henry. “Was that what I think it was?” she asked.

 

All Regina seemed to be capable of doing was nodding her head.

 

“You broke the curse. It wasn’t me, it was you,” Emma said, a slow smile tugging at the corners of her mouth at the still stupefied expression on Regina’s face.  

 

Everyone just stared for a long moment and then Henry pointed between Regina and Emma, his eyes twinkling mischievously. “You two have got some explaining to do.”

 

“Hush,” Emma groaned, resisting the urge to bury her head in her hands as her parents eyed her curiously.  

 

xxxxxx

 

Emma watched Henry and Regina as they talked about the missing year. They were both so animated, so overjoyed that Henry had his memories back. She was happy for them, of course she was, and, yet, she felt almost unsettled, a feeling that she couldn't quite pinpoint, or didn't want to acknowledge, working it's way into the pit of her stomach. She was being ridiculous, she knew that. Regina and Henry had been apart for a year and a year was nearly forever. She could imagine too easily how they both felt.

 

When there was a natural break in their conversation, she suggested, “Why don't you take Henry home with you? Have dinner just the two of you. You have lots to catch up on.”

 

Regina studied her carefully, as if she was trying to read her mind, and then she shook her head, offering firmly yet in a gentle voice, “ _Emma_ , we don't need to have dinner alone. You should come as well.”

 

Emma shuffled from foot to foot uncertainly. Didn't Regina want time alone with Henry? Was she just offering because she thought she had to? The feeling that had settled in the pit of her stomach twisted again and this time Emma acknowledged to herself what it was - she was worried that Regina might not even want to be around her at all now that she had Henry back. She was worried, no matter how illogical she knew it probably was, that maybe she’d just been a gateway to Henry.

 

“Are you sure?” she finally asked, the words tentative.

 

Regina eyed her with an expression that was knowing and just a little bit sad. “Of course I'm sure.” She smiled so tenderly and so fondly, adding, “I'll make lasagna.”

 

Emma couldn't help but smile back at that, the tightness in her stomach beginning to ease. “Okay.”

 

Regina was smiling even more fondly then, her eyes flashing with emotion the way Emma had noticed they tended to do just before they kissed.

 

“Are you two done being weirdly sappy now?” Henry made a fake gagging noise, interrupting the moment.

 

Looking away from Regina and at their son, Emma laughed, reaching over to ruffle his hair as he tried to squirm away.

 

Regina just smiled at both of them, wrapping an arm around Henry’s waist. “Come on, let's go home.”

 

Henry grinned and Emma wrapped her arm around him as well, from the other side.

 

They walked like that, with Henry sandwiched between them, towards the manor. Emma pretending that Regina hadn't just called it home as if it might apply to all three them. Pretending that the possibility didn't make her heart flip happily.

 

xxxxxx

 

Emma sat at a bar stool at the kitchen island while Regina chopped vegetables for a salad. There were currently seven different kinds of vegetables in the salad and Regina just kept pulling more out of the fridge.

 

“I swear I fed Henry vegetables this past year.” Emma reached over and snagged a piece of the cucumber that Regina was chopping, popping it into his mouth. “And even if I didn’t...is trying to feed them all to him in this one sitting really going to solve anything? Or, well...in two sittings, I guess. Because you made him eat all of those peas the other night. But whatever. You know what I mean.” Emma bit the inside of her cheek to stop the incessant rambling.

 

Regina’s lips twitched into an amused smile, although whether it was at the rambling or at the joke itself, Emma wasn’t really sure.

 

After a beat, Regina offered dryly, “And here I assumed that the two of you survived on nothing but Fruit Loops.”

 

“Nope. Not just Fruit Loops,” Emma grinned. “Also Chef Boyardee.”

 

Regina pulled a face, looking absolutely horrified. “Please tell me that is your idea of a joke.”

 

Emma just shrugged, laughing in amusement.

 

Regina narrowed her eyes playfully at her and tossed a piece of cucumber in her direction.

 

Emma picked the piece of cucumber up off of where it landed on the island and popped it into her mouth, chewing it slowly. “Against popular belief, I can actually cook, you know,” she said once she’d swallowed the piece of cucumber. “Ask Henry.”

 

“How will I know whether Henry is telling the truth or whether you just paid him off to tell me what you wanted me to hear? Hmm?” Regina quirked an eyebrow, pointing the knife she was holding at Emma to punctuate her point.

 

Emma laughed. “We both know Henry is an awful liar. I think you’re just posturing because you want me to cook you dinner sometime to prove that I can.”

 

“Is that an offer?” Regina asked, smirking.

 

“Yes,” Emma nodded seriously, even though it hadn’t really been. “I’ll cook you dinner, anytime you want.”

 

“Like a date?” Regina quirked an eyebrow, looking suddenly so very coy.

 

Emma swallowed thickly, her cheeks flushing red. “Yes, exactly like a date. It will be a date. I mean, only if you want it to be date.” She bit her lip to keep any more rambling words from tumbling out.

 

Regina let Emma fidget in her seat a minute, clearly enjoying herself, before she said, “A date sounds lovely.” She still looked coy but the hint of a blush in her own cheeks gave away how pleased she was with the idea.

 

“Are you guys seriously planning a date in here?” Henry groaned from the entrance to the kitchen and they both jumped.

 

Emma turned around in her seat to look at Henry. “Done checking out your room, kid?”

 

Henry narrowed his eyes at her, obviously not fooled by her diversionary tactics, but he shrugged his shoulders, moving over to the island. “Everything is exactly like it was. Like we never left,” he said, reaching over and snagging a piece of cucumber just like Emma had done earlier.

 

Regina shook her head at the move, glancing almost disbelieving between Henry and Emma.

 

“ _What_?” Henry asked confused, his head tilting as he reached for another piece of cucumber off of the cutting board.          

 

Emma just laughed, reaching over and ruffling his hair. “Nothing, kid. Nothing at all.”

 

It was so easy to imagine _this_ becoming a routine. Regina and Henry and her in the kitchen together. Like a real family.

 

And, as if she could read Emma’s mind, Regina glanced across the island at Emma and smiled, her eyes filled with unmistakable fondness.  

 

xxxxxx

 

They were clearing the dinner dishes from the table when Emma’s cell phone rang. She set the plates she was carrying back down on the table so that she could slip her phone out of her pocket and bring it up to her ear. “Hello?” she answered, listening to the voice on the other end of the phone.

 

When she hung up, Henry and Regina were both staring at her expectantly. “ _So_ ,” she said slowly, drawing the word out. “My mother is in labour.”

 

Both Henry and Regina’s eyes widened in surprise.

 

Regina recovered first. “Okay. Well, should we go to the hospital?”

 

Emma considered that a moment. “ _You_ should,” she decided.

 

Regina frowned. “And where exactly are you going to go?”

 

“To stop Zelena,” Emma said firmly, her jaw setting in determination.

 

Regina’s brow didn’t unfurrow. “And how exactly are you going to do that?”

 

“I don’t know...with my magic?” Emma shrugged, her jaw still set, resigned. “Does it matter how? Zelena needs to be stopped and thanks to your freshly returned memories we know that I’m apparently the one who has to do it. So I’m going to go do it. That’s how it’s got to be. End of story.”

 

“ _No_ ,” Regina said with a sharpness that surprised Emma.

 

“What do you mean, _no_?” Emma snapped, her shoulders suddenly tense, prepared for a fight.

 

Regina didn’t snap back though, instead she reached over and took Emma’s hand, lacing their fingers together and squeezing gently. “I _mean_ , no, you’re not going alone.”

 

“ _Regina…”_ Emma breathed out.

 

“I’m coming with you,” Regina said firmly and Emma wasn’t sure how she was supposed to argue with that.      

 

xxxxxx

 

They dropped Henry off at the hospital and then headed to the farmhouse.

 

Zelena, with Rumple at her side, came out of the house as soon as Emma and Regina set foot on the property.

 

“Now what do we have here?” Zelena smirked, looking amused instead of worried by their appearance.

 

Undeterred, Emma continued forward, her face the picture of determination. Regina continued forward as well, although a little more cautiously than Emma.

 

“Ah, ah, ah,” Zelena said, waving the dagger in her hand back and forth like a person might wag their finger. “I wouldn’t come any closer.” She looked over at Rumple. “Show them what you’ve got, Dark One.”

 

Rumple looked displeased but he held the item in his hand up higher so that they would see it. A heart. No, not _a_ heart, Regina realized, it was _her_ heart.

 

“Why don’t you give it a nice squeeze?” Zelena grinned maniacally.

 

Rumple obeyed and Regina gasped; the sudden pain in her chest was overwhelming and she doubled over.

 

“Regina!” Emma shrieked in panic as she rushed back towards her, reaching for Regina’s elbow with one hand, the other hand settling on her back, supporting her.

 

“You can’t help her, Saviour,” Zelena called gleefully, her eyes dancing with amusement as she added, “Or maybe you can.” With a puff of green smoke there was suddenly a vial in her hand. A vial with a swirling gas that looked much too familiar for Regina’s liking.

 

“ _No_ ,” Regina tried to get out a protest but with a gesture from Zelena, Rumple was squeezing her heart tighter and she was gasping in pain instead.

 

“Tell you what. I’ll let your precious Regina live, if you come over here like a good girl and let me curse you,” Zelena told Emma.

 

“ _N-no,”_ Regina tried to protest again but with a new wave of pressure placed on her heart not even Emma’s hands on her elbow and the small of her back were enough to keep her upright and she fell to her knees, the descent eased by Emma’s support. Despite the excruciating pain, she tried again, “ _E-Emma_.”

 

Emma looked down at her with wide green eyes filled not with fear but with determination and Regina could feel sinking horror being added to the excruciating pain in her chest. Emma was going to do what Zelena wanted. Emma didn’t realize that Zelena wasn’t going to crush Regina’s heart and kill her because she still needed Regina’s heart for the time travel spell. But, no matter how hard she tried, Regina could not form the words to tell Emma that.  

 

Regina watched in horror as those green eyes turned away from her to look back at Zelena.

 

“Okay,” Emma said, her voice filled with as much determination as her eyes and, with one last look back at Regina, she moved forward towards Zelena.

 

Zelena laughed maniacally as she uncapped the vial and its contents expanded, swirling mist circling Emma until she was crumbling to the ground, unconscious.

 

As soon as Emma hit the ground, the pressure in Regina’s chest eased. “Emma!” she screamed, pushing herself up off of the ground and rushing forward towards Emma’s crumbled form. She was two steps away from her when, in a puff of green smoke, Emma’s body was gone.

 

“What did you do with her!” Regina growled, angry eyes focusing on her sister.

 

“You didn’t actually think I was going to leave her right there within your reach did you?” Zelena said, sounding almost bored now. “Do you _still_ underestimate me so much little sister.”

 

Regina’s eyes narrowed even further but Zelena just laughed, turning around and stalking back into the farmhouse, Rumple following her.     

 

xxxxxx

 

The mist cleared and Emma found herself in a living room that she remembered much too clearly.

 

She stared down at the green shag carpet a long moment, focusing on her breathing, in and out and in and out, trying to stop the sudden trembling of her limbs and the rapid thumping of her heart. _This wasn’t real, it wasn’t really happening_ , she reminded herself.

 

It was just a nightmare. It was just a nightmare. It was just a nightmare.

 

No matter how many times she repeated it, it didn’t really help, she just continued to tremble.

 

It didn’t even seem to matter that nothing was actually currently happening. No one was even in the living room - or, at least, neither Jerry nor Lorraine were. She suspected that she was - well, _child_ her - otherwise why would the curse have brought her into this room? She didn’t look for herself though. Didn’t check behind the over-sized armchair that she’d frequently hidden behind when she actually was a child. She didn’t want to see herself. Didn’t want to have to see the broken child she’d once been. Especially not when there was nothing she could do about it.

 

She remembered what Regina had said about her time in this nightmare world, about being more useless than a ghost here. Emma wouldn’t be seen or heard here. She would have no impact on the outcome; this was a retelling of events that had already happened and changing the past wasn’t possible - or, well, Zelena’s plans aside, it wasn’t supposed to be.

 

Emma moved over to the wall, sliding down until she was sitting on the ground and drawing her knees to her chest. She buried her head in her knees and used her fingers to plug her ears as the phone in the living room started to ring. She wasn’t going to look. She wasn’t going to listen. She was just going to wait. Because that was all there was to do here - wait for Regina to rescue her.

 

And, no matter how long it took, Regina would rescue her, of that Emma was sure.     

 

xxxxxx

 

Regina’s phone rang as she walked purposely down main street.

 

It was the third time it had rung since she’d left the farmhouse and transported herself to Emma and Henry’s room at Granny’s where she’d retrieved one of Emma's sweaters and used it to cast a locator spell.

 

Like the first two times it had rung, she ignored it. She knew what the call was about. The baby was still coming, any time now. There was no point answering. The baby's best chance - all of their best chance - was for Regina to find Emma and wake her as quickly as possible.

 

The locator spell had her traipsing down Main Street towards the clock tower. _The clock tower, really?_ she thought with a wrinkled nose as she pushed her way into the building and began climbing the stairs. It seemed so unimaginative of Zelena - she’d expected Emma to be somewhere impossibly difficult to find - but perhaps Zelena was too distracted with the upcoming culmination of her plan to be creative. Zelena didn’t need Emma gone forever, after all, just long enough for her to cast the spell and go back and change the past.

 

Regina spotted Emma’s crumpled form as she climbed the last step of the clock tower and she rushed forward, dropping to her knees and gathering Emma into her arms. She stroked blonde hair gently and she bent her head down to press her lips to Emma’s.

 

The light that surrounded them was almost instantaneous and Emma gasped as her eyes flew open, wild and uncertain and darting every which way.

 

“You’re okay, you’re okay,” Regina hummed, rocking Emma. She was concerned about just where exactly Emma’s head would be at coming out of _that_ nightmare and she focused on making sure she felt safe.  

 

It took a minute but Emma’s eyes settled on Regina’s, her breathing slowing considerably, and a soft smile tugging at her lips. “You found me.”

 

The unsavory _I will always find you_ line that the Charmings were so fond of popped into Regina’s head and she scowled at herself. Under no circumstances was she going to be saying that - _ever_.  

 

Emma seemed to understand the connotation of what she’d said and maybe even what was going through Regina’s head because she laughed. “Sorry.”

 

Regina shook her head, smiling down at Emma then as she deadpanned, “You should be.”

 

Emma just grinned, pushing herself up into a seated position, so that she could lean over and kiss Regina, a hand reaching up and threading itself through dark hair. The kiss was slow and soft and gentle and when she pulled back she rested her forehead against Regina’s, green eyes staring directly into brown ones. “Thank you for rescuing me,” she whispered.

 

“Always,” Regina said without hesitation, capturing Emma’s lips with her own once more.

 

The kiss was interrupted by the ringing of a phone.

 

Emma groaned at the disruption but she pulled back, slipping the phone out of her pocket, and answering it. “Mmhm, mmhm. We’ll be right there,” she said to whomever was on the other end. Once she hung up she looked over at Regina, “The baby is coming. Like right now.”

 

Regina nodded seriously, standing and helping Emma up off of the ground and then transporting them in a cloud of purple smoke to the hospital.        

 

xxxxxx

 

They were too late.

 

Zelena was in Mary Margaret’s room, the baby already cradled in her arms. David had a sword drawn but he was frozen by magic, unmoving. Mary Margaret, lying in the hospital bed, was frozen by magic as well.

 

“ _You again_ ,” Zelena hissed as Emma charged forward towards her, only sliding to a halt when Zelena made a motion like she was going to hurt the baby. “You’re harder to get rid of then a fungus.” She wrinkled her nose in disgust.

 

Emma glowered. “Give me the baby.”

 

“Now why would I do that?” Zelena cackled.

 

“Zelena, _please_ ,” Regina tried to reason with her, coming up beside Emma. “You don't have to do this. It's not too late to make the right choice. I know-”

 

“You know _nothing_ ,” Zelena cut her off, her eyes flashing with fury.

 

Emma took a step closer and Zelena took the action as the threat it was. She raised her hand, a wave of magic sending Emma flying backwards out the open door, her head connecting with the wall on the other side of the hall with a sickening thunk. Zelena disappeared in a puff of green smoke before Emma's body had even finished crumpling to the ground.

 

“Mom!” Henry screamed, darting down the hall towards Emma from wherever it was he’d been hiding.

 

Regina made it to Emma first, kneeling down beside her crumpled form for the second time today, worry twisting her stomach in knots.

 

Emma groaned, her eyes blinking open - they were unfocused as she tried to push herself up into a seated position.

 

“Careful.” Regina reached out and placed her hands on Emma's shoulders to stop her. “You hit your head really hard.”

 

“I'm fine,” Emma insisted, shrugging off Regina’s hands and managing to pull herself up into a seated position with some effort. She groaned again, fingers reaching out to gingerly touch the back of her head. When she withdrew them, they were covered in blood.

 

“Get Dr. Whale,” Regina snapped loudly at the sight of the blood, although she wasn't exactly sure who she was providing the instruction to because she didn't bother looking over her shoulder, her focus still completely on Emma.

 

“I'm fine,” Emma insisted again. “Help me up. We have to go get the baby back.”

 

“You aren't fine, Emma.” Regina shook her head but reluctantly she stood and held her hands out to help Emma up off the floor.

 

Emma swayed as soon as she was off the ground and Regina reached out to steady her, a hand on her elbow. “I'm fine,” Emma insisted yet again before Regina could say anything.

 

“You don't look fine,” Dr. Whale said, approaching. “How many fingers am I holding up?” He held three fingers up for her.

 

Regina watched Emma wince as she squinted uncertainly and that alone would have been enough for it to be clear that she had a concussion but, as if that fact needed to be punctuated, instead of answering Emma groaned and clutched at her stomach.

 

“I think I'm gonna be sick.”

 

“Bring her into that room,” Dr. Whale instructed, pointing to the room beside Mary Margaret’s.

 

Emma let herself be led into the room, and even let herself be sat on the edge of the bed without protest, but as soon as Dr. Whale tried to look at her head she squirmed away, wincing as she did so. “We don't have time for this. We have to go get the baby back.”

 

“ _Emma_ ,” Regina sighed. “You can't go like this. You can’t even stand. You’ll get yourself killed.”

 

Emma looked pleadingly over at her father, who had followed them into the room, but David sighed too, looking so defeated and so pained. “Regina’s right.”

 

Emma looked to Henry then, as if she just wanted someone to agree with her but Henry just shook his head. She frowned unhappily, unwilling to give up, practically growling, “Put me in a wheelchair then. But you have to take me to wherever Zelena is. You _need_ my light magic to stop her.”

 

Everyone was silent. David looked even more pained, like he couldn’t figure out what the right thing to do here was. And then Henry said, “No they don't.” Everyone turned to look at him. “Mom,” he said, his eyes on Regina, “ _You_ can do it.”

 

“I haven’t had any success fighting Zelena,” Regina reminded him carefully.

 

“Because you were using _dark_ magic,” Henry stressed, “not light magic.”

 

“I don't have light magic Henry,” Regina said gently but in a way that suggested that that should have been obvious.

 

“Yes you do,” Henry nodded vigorously. “You're one of the good guys now, Mom. I believe in you, you just need to believe in yourself too.”

 

Regina frowned uncertainly, her lips pursing.

 

“Henry’s right,” Emma spoke up and she sounded so certain. “You broke the curse. _Curses_. You True Love’s Kissed Henry and then me. That’s light magic, Regina.”

 

“Wait. _What?_ ” David eyes widened in what would have been comical in less dire circumstances.

 

No one answered him.

 

Regina was too busy staring at still unfocused green eyes - eyes that, even as unfocused as they were, were filled with so much emotion. If Henry believed in her, if Emma believed in her, maybe she could believe in herself. “Okay,” she nodded slowly.

 

“I’m coming with you,” David said, his hand clutching his sword a little tighter.

 

“Me too,” Emma chimed in, trying to get up off the bed, stopped only by Regina’s hand on her shoulder.

 

“ _No_ ,” David and Regina said together and then David continued, “I can't risk _both_ of my children, Emma.”

 

Emma sighed but she stopped trying to get off the bed. “You can't go just the two of you.”

 

“We won't,” David assured.

 

And, as if magically summoned, the Dwarves, and Ruby, and Granny holding a bow and arrow appeared in the doorway.

 

David moved immediately to join the small crowd in the hallway but Regina hesitated, pausing to kiss Emma quickly on the lips - not caring who might see this action when this very well might be their last moment together.

 

Emma didn't say anything but when Regina tried to pull away, she reached up and tugged her back, pressing their lips together again in the kind of kiss that said more than words ever could.

 

When they pulled back, Regina noticed that Henry was staring at his feet and she couldn't help but smile. She reached over and smoothed his hair. “Watch your mother for me, okay?”

 

“Okay,” Henry agreed.

 

Regina kissed the side of his head and then with one last glance back at Emma, she headed out into the hallway to join the crowd about to go defeat her sister, trying to ignore the worry in the pit of her stomach.

 

“Let's go get this witch,” Grumpy said.

 

xxxxxxx

 

Once everyone was gone, Emma let Dr. Whale attend to her head.

 

Nine stitches and one bout of vomiting all over the floor later she was alone in the hospital room with Henry.

 

Leaning back against the pillows of the hospital bed, she tried not to think about whatever was going on at the farmhouse.

 

They were still here, they hadn't vanished into non-existence, so it couldn't have gone horribly wrong _yet_. That logic didn't really make sitting here doing nothing any easier though. She wanted to be there. Wanted to help. No, not wanted, _needed_. And the room wasn't spinning anymore - well it was spinning _less_ , anyway.

 

“Hey, Henry,” Emma said slowly. “Can you do me a favour?”

 

Henry sat up straighter. “Yeah sure, what do you need?”

 

“Can you go check on your grandmother?” Emma asked.

 

Henry, who had surely been expecting a request similar to an earlier request she’d made for a toothbrush, eyed her suspiciously with a completely Regina expression. “Why?”

 

Emma held his gaze. “Because she just had a baby and had that baby taken away from her... _again_. I'm worried about her.” Her true motivations were easier to hide because that really was the truth.

 

Henry softened a bit but he still looked suspicious.

 

“I'd go myself,” Emma added, trying to sound casual. “But, well…” she motioned to her bandaged head, “probably best that I don't move.”

 

Henry bit his lip, eyeing her a long moment like he might be able to read her mind but finally he nodded his head once. “Okay.” He stood from the chair beside her bed, hesitating. “You're sure you'll be okay?”

 

“Mmhm,” Emma nodded and then winced at the sudden sharp pain at the back of her head.

 

Henry quirked an eyebrow at her.

 

“I'm fine, I'm fine,” Emma assured. “I just need to not move.” And, again, that was the truth - even if it wasn't her intention.

 

“Okay,” Henry said uncertainly but he moved towards the door, glancing back at Emma one last time before he stepped into the hallway and disappeared

 

Emma waited five whole minutes before she slipped out of the hospital bed, immediately slamming her eyes shut and willing the dizziness and the nausea to subside. Deep breaths sort of did the trick and when she finally felt like she would be able to move without throwing up, she slipped into the hallway, heading for the exit.

 

xxxxxx

 

When they made it to the farmhouse, Regina could feel the magic flickering in the air. Zelena was in the beginning stages of casting the spell.

 

Almost immediately David and Granny and Ruby and the Dwarves were squaring off with flying monkeys and Rumple, leaving Regina to face her sister alone.

 

“Where’s the Saviour?” Zelena cackled, looking much too gleeful. “Don’t tell me a little head wound is what finally did her in? I would have knocked her into a wall weeks ago if I’d known that.”

 

Regina glowered in Zelena’s direction. “That is the least of your concerns at the moment.”

 

“Oh really?” Zelena just looked amused. “What exactly should I be concerned about, then? Certainly you don’t mean _you_ . Only light magic can defeat me. And you’re as dark as they come.” She waved her hand and suddenly Regina was being suspended in the air. “How many times do I have to beat you before you give up, _sis_?”

 

For a moment, feet dangling off the ground, magic coiling painfully around her, Regina panicked, convinced that she was going to fail. But then she thought of Henry - Henry her beautiful son who had more faith in her than she deserved. And she thought of Emma - Emma who had endured too much in her life, who, despite that, was still so good, and who, somehow, was Regina’s True Love.

 

Regina’s hands glowed white. _Light magic_.

 

“ _How_?” Zelena’s eyes widened and for the first time in Regina’s memory she looked afraid. “W-what are you doing?”

 

“Saving my family,” Regina breathed out and just like that her feet were firmly planted on the ground and Zelena’s magical pendant was in her hand.

 

She’d done it. She’d really done it. For her family, she’d done it.

  

xxxxxx

 

Walking was significantly more challenging than Emma had anticipated. By the time she was on a path in the forest that she was pretty sure led to the farmhouse, she was stumbling every other step.

 

Leaving the hospital had been a bad move. But she’d come too far now to try and go back. She doubted she’d make it back. And, so, she just kept stumbling forward.  

 

xxxxxx

 

With Regina’s heart back in her chest and the baby safely cradled in David’s arms, they left the farmhouse and headed back towards town. Once they made it there, they split up - Regina bringing Zelena to the sheriff's station and David heading back to the hospital.

 

In a move that baffled Regina, the Dwarves chose to follow her and not David. She wasn't sure what to make of the entourage who were looking at her with something oddly like respect as she locked the door to the cell. “Thanks for your help,” she said because she wasn't sure what else to say to them.

 

Grumpy, always the unofficial - or perhaps _official_ \- spokesperson for the group said, “Are you heading to the hospital now?”

 

Regina did want to go to the hospital, wanted to go and check on Emma, wanted to hug Henry and tell him that he'd been right, but with a soft sigh she glanced back quickly at her sister in the cell. She wanted to go to the hospital but she also wanted, _needed_ , to speak with Zelena, _alone_. “Actually,” she said, looking back at the Dwarves, “I'm going to stay here a little longer.”

 

They eyed her uncertainly, as if they didn't feel comfortable leaving her, and Regina could feel wariness building in her chest. Did they not trust her alone with Zelena? Did they think she was up to something _evil_? Even though she had quite literally just saved them? The possibility had her feeling significantly more disappointed than it ought to.

 

“Are you sure you'll be okay here alone with _her_ ?” Grumpy spit out the _her_ with the kind of disdain he'd reserved exclusively for talking about Regina in very recent memory.

 

Regina couldn't help the way her eyebrows lifted in surprise. It seemed, the Dwarves weren't worried about her being up to something, they were just worried about _her._ It took a moment for her to school her expression back into something impassive. “I am perfectly capable of looking after myself. She doesn't have magic anymore. She's harmless.”

 

Grumpy looked like he might protest but he just shrugged. “Yeah, okay.”

 

The Dwarves started to leave but then they stopped, Grumpy turning back around. “We’ll catch you at the hospital later? I'm sure there's going to be a party.”

 

“Yes,” Regina nodded once, a smile tugging at her lips despite her best efforts, and then she watched them leave.

 

She was still staring at the doorway when Zelena called disdainfully from behind her, “Look who's earned the respect of Munchkins. It's sickening.”

 

She turned to look at her sister, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms over her chest. “They're D _warves_.”

 

Zelena rolled her eyes right back. “Whatever. Same thing.”

 

Regina wasn't about to debate something so ridiculous, so she said nothing, just narrowed her eyes in Zelena’s direction.

 

“You just think you're _so_ special now don't you.” Zelena rolled her eyes again, her voice rising several octaves as she mocked, “Oh look at me, I'm Regina, I used to be evil, but now I have light magic and a True Love and I am going to live the most boring mundane pathetic life.” She shook her head. “If that's what you're trying to talk me into. If you're here to tell me that I could have _that_ if I just give up on my wicked ways, then spare me. _Please_. I'd rather die than live such an awful cliché.”

 

Regina wasn't sure what she was most outraged about, Zelena’s mocking or Zelena not being even willing to hear her out, but whatever clever reply she was about to deliver died on her lips when the phone in her pocket began to ring. She might not have answered but it was Henry and there was never any debate when it was Henry. She pressed the answer button and brought the phone to her ear. “Henry?”

 

“Mom!” Henry sounded frantic.

 

“What's wrong?” Regina asked, her heart rate already increasing.

 

“Emma's missing,” Henry rushed out.

 

“What?!” Regina hadn't meant for that to come out so loud.

 

“I'm sorry, I'm sorry,” Henry sounded remorseful then. “She said I should check on grandma...and I...I should have known better.”

 

“It's okay, it's okay,” Regina soothed, even as her heart beat so loudly in her ears that she could barely hear herself. “Your mother is a grown woman, it's not your job to keep her from making terrible decisions.”

 

“But-” Henry started to protest.

 

“I’ll find her,” Regina cut him off.

 

There was silence from the other end, just the sound of Henry’s shaky breathing.

 

“Don't worry, Henry. It's going to be okay,” Regina reassured him, managing to sound much more confident than she felt.

 

“Okay,” he said quietly, sounding very much like the little boy he'd been not so long ago.

 

Regina wanted to go to him, to hold him and comfort him, but there was no time for that right now, not when Emma was out there somewhere with a concussion. “I love you,” she said before disconnecting the call.

 

“Trouble in paradise?” Zelena cackled from the cell.

 

Regina ignored her, turning around and heading for the exit.

 

“Wait!” Zelena called after her, sounding close to panicked then. “You're just going to leave me here?”

 

Regina still didn't answer her, she just walked outside, mumbling to herself, “Emma, you idiot.”

 

xxxxxx

 

A locator spell should not be needed to find the same person _twice_ in one day - that was what Regina thought about as she hurried through town. Or at least it was what she _tried_ to think about because annoyance was easier to contend with than worry. Unfortunately, worry seemed to have a mind of its own and, by the time she was leaving town and heading into the forest on a path clearly leading to the farmhouse, just not the same way they'd come back to town earlier, that worry had coiled knots so tightly in her stomach that she thought she might be literally sick if she didn't find Emma soon.

 

The farmhouse was almost in view when she finally spotted the form slumped against a tree. The knots twisted impossibly tighter, her heart thumping rapidly in her chest, as she raced the rest of the way forward, calling, “Emma! Emma!”

 

Unfocused green eyes looked up at her as she kneeled on the ground in front of Emma, not particularly caring that she was getting her pants dirty.

 

“Hi.” Emma gave her a shaky smile, managing to look more sheepish than unwell.

 

“What were you thinking?!” Regina couldn't help but snap, her heart still thumping too loudly in her ears despite the proof that Emma was alive and at least somewhat in one piece.

 

Emma winced. “Sorry.”

 

“Sorry? You're _sorry_?” Regina shook her head. “You could have...you could have…” she tried and failed to finish the thought, incapable of voicing the fear she'd had out loud.

 

“I know,” Emma said quietly, her gaze dropping from Regina’s to look down at the ground, hair falling forward to create a veil around her face as she repeated her previous apology in barely more than a whisper, “I'm sorry.”

 

Regina sighed softly, her heart rate finally beginning to slow. “Are you okay?” she asked gently, a hand reaching out to brush at blonde hair, tucking some behind Emma's ear so that she could see her face. “Besides the obvious, I mean?”

 

“Yeah,” Emma mumbled, looking up to meet Regina’s warm gaze.

 

Regina tucked more hair behind Emma's ear, her fingers lingering, cupping Emma's cheek, her thumb running gently along her jawline. She didn't say anything.

 

Emma leaned into the contact, her eyes fluttering shut. “So you did it?” she asked, eyes still shut. “You stopped your sister?”

 

“Yes,” Regina said quietly, her thumb still running over and over again along Emma's jawline.

 

“The baby?” Emma questioned.

 

“He's fine,” Regina assured.

 

Emma's eyes blinked open. “ _He_?”

 

“Yes. You have a brother,” Regina confirmed, offering a soft understanding smile when she recognized something close to relief in Emma's expression. A brother rather than a sister maybe shouldn't matter but Regina knew that it did. Knew that a brother would feel less like a replacement than a sister would have.

 

“And your heart?” Emma asked carefully.

 

“Back where it belongs.” Regina smiled slowly.

 

Emma smiled too, fingers reaching up to brush tenderly against the spot under which Regina’s heart now resided once more. She didn't withdraw her hand, fingers remaining pressed gently against skin, as she asked, “How does it feel?”

 

Regina’s head tilted as she contemplated the answer. Finally she said, “The same, just _more.”_

 

“Do you think kissing will feel any different?” Emma asked.

 

Regina quirked a slow eyebrow, unable to resist teasing Emma. “So that's what you care about? Kissing?”

 

“No. Maybe? What's the right answer here?” Emma stumbled over her words, looking adorably sheepish.

 

Regina laughed, shaking her head. “I'm not sure how kissing you could make me feel any _more_...but there's only one way to find out.”

 

Emma grinned slowly then, the grin only seeming to spread as Regina leaned in close, pressing their lips together in a soft kiss that quickly grew in urgency. For a moment she forget about Emma’s head wound, she forget about everything but the feel of the lips sliding against her own, of the hand tangling in her hair, of the tongue pushing it’s way into her mouth.

 

“Well?” Emma asked, eyes twinkling as they finally parted.  

 

Regina reached up to run a hand through her tousled hair, taking a moment to get control of her breathing, swallowing hard before she offered as smoothly as she could manage, which really wasn’t very smoothly at all, “Okay, so perhaps I was wrong. That was definitely _more_.”

 

Emma looked smug for a long moment before she grinned. “For me too. I'm seeing stars…although that could just be the concussion.”

 

Regina groaned. Was Emma seriously joking about her serious head injury? The head injury that she’d probably made worse by traipsing through the forest.

 

Emma seemed to sense that anymore jokes wouldn’t be well received. She sighed softly. “What now?”

 

“Now I take you back to the hospital,” Regina said firmly.

 

Surprisingly, Emma didn't protest.

 

xxxxxx

 

Regina poofed them to the hospital in a cloud of purple smoke, her arms wrapped protectively around Emma. Emma was pretty sure that teleportation wasn’t great for a concussion but it seemed like a far better alternative than having to walk back to the hospital, so she wasn’t complaining.

 

As they appeared in the hospital hallway, Emma’s vision got fuzzy and everything began to spin around her. She swayed unsteadily, thinking her legs might give out but Regina just held her tighter, supporting her weight and keeping her on her feet.

 

Henry spotted them immediately. “Mom! _Mom!_ ” he called out, racing down the hallway towards them, practically slamming into them, wrapping his arms around both of them.

 

Emma was immensely grateful for Regina’s arms still holding her upright because otherwise the force of Henry’s hug would probably have knocked her over.

 

Regina left one arm supporting Emma but she wound the other around Henry’s waist, pulling him into a tighter hug. Emma wrapped one of her arms loosely around Henry as well, her hand brushing against Regina’s behind Henry’s back and she couldn’t help but smile when Regina grabbed her hand, lacing their fingers together.

 

“You did it,” Henry said to Regina, still holding them both, and she could hear the smile and the pride in his voice.

 

“Was there ever any doubt?” Emma asked.

 

Henry untangled himself from their arms then, eyeing Emma incredulously, the smile gone, replaced with the hint of a scowl and a flare of anger. “I don’t know. You tell me. _You’re_ the one who left the hospital.”

 

Emma reached out and brushed a hand along his shoulder, relieved when he didn’t shrug her away. “I’m sorry, kid. I shouldn’t have…” she sighed. “I was just worried. I’m not good at being sidelined and I just wasn’t thinking straight.” She knew she’d screwed up but the possibility that Region could get hurt, or worse, had been too overwhelming - it had rendered her incapable of logical thought. She glanced over at Regina, who was watching the two of them with pursed lips. “I’m sorry,” Emma repeated quietly looking back at Henry, and she really was sorry.

 

“Yeah, well. Maybe think harder next time,” Henry grumbled but she could see that the flare of anger was dissipating.

 

“I’ll try,” Emma assured, smiling slowly at him. “Thinking is a tough one for me, you know.”

 

Regina snorted at that, her shoulders shaking as she suppressed laughter, which made Henry laugh too.

 

Emma pretended to narrow her eyes but it was hard to even feign being upset at their laughter. Besides, narrowing her eyes was messing with her balance, so she quickly gave up on that.

 

When the laughter died down, Henry wrapped his arms back around them. “Love you.”

 

“We love you too, Henry,” Regina murmured.

 

“Yes,” Emma agreed, her heart fluttering happily.  

 

xxxxxx

 

Dr. Whale recommended that Emma spend the night at the hospital for observation, which was how, some time later, despite much protest on Emma’s part about wanting to go home, Regina found herself lying upright in a hospital bed with Emma curled up in her arms.

 

Emma whimpered in her sleep, her brow furrowing.

 

“Sshh,” Regina soothed, stroking Emma’s arm gently, her fingers tracing an aimless pattern against pale skin.

 

The motion helped for awhile, Emma was quiet for several minutes, but then she startled and green eyes were blinking open and looking up at Regina.    

 

“Bad dream?” Regina asked softly, fingers stilling against Emma’s arm.

 

“Sort of,” Emma mumbled sleepily.

 

“Sort of?” Regina asked, not understanding,

 

Emma blinked slowly and for a moment Regina wondered if she wasn’t going to get an answer. “It was the same nightmare I’ve always had...” Emma said slowly, trailing off as she looked vacantly across the room, as if recalling the details.

 

Emma didn't need to say more than that for Regina to know exactly what nightmare she meant and she resumed tracing a pattern on Emma’s arm in hopes of comforting her.

 

“But then…” Emma started again, her head tilting to look back over at Regina, green eyes suddenly so vulnerable but also filled with something that almost seemed like surprise. “Then you were there. And I...I didn't feel scared anymore. I felt like...like everything was going to be okay.”

 

Regina smoothed Emma’s hair, mindful of the stitches on the back of her head. She kissed her temple softly but she didn't say anything. Words really didn't seem necessary.

 

“This is really real, isn't it?” Emma questioned.

 

Regina wasn't quite sure what she meant. Did she still think she was dreaming? She didn't have to ask for clarification though because Emma continued.

 

“The True Love thing? We really are True Love, aren't we?” Emma asked and she looked so hopeful, adorably so.

 

“Yes.” Regina smiled, fondness swelling within her chest.

 

Emma smiled back. “I don't think it's because of Henry,” she said after a beat as if that was some kind of big revelation and not something that had always been plainly obvious to Regina.

 

Regina couldn't help the bark of laughter that escaped and when Emma scowled at her she rubbed her arm soothingly. “I think you're right,” she agreed.

 

Emma’s scowl disappeared and she smiled happily then, looking content as her head settled itself on Regina’s shoulder and her eyes slid closed.

 

They were quiet for a long time and Regina was pretty sure Emma was drifting off to sleep when a quiet voice filled the room.

 

“I think...I love you,” Emma said.

 

Regina was pretty sure that declarations of love that sounded oddly like questions made by a person with a concussion probably shouldn't make her feel much - but the flurry of emotion swelling in her chest suggested otherwise. “You think?” she couldn't help but ask the gentle teasing question as she looked down at Emma in her arms.

 

Emma's eyes blinked back open, green eyes looking up to meet brown ones. “I do,” she said, and there was no more question in her voice, just certainty, as she said, “I love you.”

 

“Good,” Regina smiled. “Because I love you. All of you and then some.”

 

The smile that spread across Emma's face was impossibly soft and so very happy.

 

Regina twisted her head so that she could kiss Emma, pressing their lips together with a softness that matched Emma's smile.

 

“Now sleep,” Regina instructed.

 

“Okay,” Emma mumbled, her eyes sliding shut and her head resettling itself on Regina’s shoulder.

 

It wasn't until Emma's breathing was even and Regina was sure that sleep had re-claimed her, that she let herself drift off too.


End file.
